


Stranded

by JX27



Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Season/Series 07, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Related, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Stranded, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:26:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29205822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JX27/pseuds/JX27
Summary: Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c get stranded on a gate-less planet. While the SGC looks for them, several new developments in their lives make it harder to decide whether to continue searching for a way back home or to stay.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 100
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

“Where is he?” An angered Sam stood by the door to his cabin, completely soaked under the rain.

“Uh… come in, Sam”.

“I don’t wanna come in, Daniel. Where is he?” she had her arms crossed and her anxious tone warned him not to mess with her. In truth, Daniel had never seen her so agitated but, he supposed, the dire circumstances in which they found themselves could excuse her temper. After all, they had been stranded on the planet for more than a year already and had no prospect of returning to Earth.

“He…” Daniel hesitated, but the death glare she gave him prevented him from lying—he didn’t want to be at the other end of her anger; one death and resurrection was more than enough for him.

“He went to get some wood”. Daniel closed his eyes as he answered, not daring to see her reaction.

“Even when I told him not to?!” Sam’s voice was angry but had also an underlying tone of worry. “In the pouring rain. That man… he’s gonna kill himself!”

“You know Jack, he can’t just lay in bed all day…”

“Well he should!” There was something in her voice that disconcerted Daniel—it was some kind of desperation that wasn’t really justified by Jack’s actions.

“Come on in, Sam. You’re soaked. We can wait for him together. I’ll tell Teal’c to make some of that strange tea he’s getting addicted to.” He tried to sound gentle and ushered her in, as she seemed to deflate a little.

Teal’c, who had been observing the scene unfold from inside the little cabin he shared with Daniel, promptly put a pot of water on the fire.

“Come on. Let me get you a blanket, you’re soaked”.

“I don’t want a blanket, Daniel”.

“Sam, what’s going on?” For the first time since they got stranded, Sam seemed to Daniel desperate, uneasy, not in control—maybe even scared?

“Nothing, Daniel. I’m fine. Just mad at Jack for being so irresponsible”.

“It’s not the first time he’s done a thing like that. You know he gets bored and goes with the villagers to help them with chores…”

“Well, he very damn well shouldn’t”.

“It’s never bothered you before” he cautiously stated, looking at her carefully, not wanting to anger her.

“I…” she started but stopped not knowing how to answer without betraying her composure. “It’s different. It’s raining cats and dogs today”.

“As did yesterday, and the day before, and pretty much the past few weeks. We need wood for both our cabins. What is going on, Sam? You seem… tense” Daniel settled for the most polite adjective he could come up with.

“I… I’m okay. It’s just that I told Jack not to go out today.”

“Okay…” Daniel carefully eyed his soaked friend, trying to discern what was really going on. At that moment, Teal’c came from the small kitchen area with two steaming mugs.

“You do certainly appear restless, Major Carter” he said as he handed her one mug and Daniel the other.

Sam sighed but accepted the mug and took a sip. She grimaced at the taste but was grateful for the silence that drinking the “tea” granted her.

“I am sure O’Neill will return promptly” Teal’c added, as he sat on a feeble wooden chair that protested from his weight.

Sam nodded silently, looking at the mug in her hands. She felt the eyes of her friends boring into her.

“Sam, you know you can tell us anything that might upset you, right?” Daniel asked, placing a hand on her knee. “It’s been a hard few months…” he started with what seemed to be a tirade, but Sam interrupted him.

“I’m fairly sure I’m pregnant”.

“What? How?”

Sam lifted a brow. “Do I really need to explain to you how, Daniel?”

“I just… I didn’t know you and Jack…”

Was Daniel really that naïve?

“Well, not at first, when we thought we might be rescued… but when it was clear we wouldn’t… it sort of… happened”.

“Oh, wow”. Daniel stayed silent for a second before adding, “Are you sure?”

Sam huffed a laugh.

“Not that you need to know all about my periods but, even though I’m quite irregular, I’ve never missed so many periods in a row.” She went quiet but then added, “Plus, my body feels… weird. Bloated, maybe. I don’t know. And I’ve been nauseous the past few days. It kind of clicked in my head last night when Jack told me just how long we’ve been here”.

“So you were going to tell him today” Daniel concluded.

“But for some reason he decided to go all Davy Crockett today, amidst a monsoon” Sam’s voice echoed her earlier anger but was calmer.

The three of them fell silent, and, after a while, Teal’c stood up and went to his room. At first, Sam thought it was to give her and Daniel some privacy, but he immediately returned with a blanket in his hands that Sam knew he’d made a few months back. He wrapped her with it tightly.

“I am aware you do not require a blanket, but we do not really know what viruses might lurk around here, and what effects might have on a pregnant woman”.

"Thanks, Teal’c” she smiled gratefully for the first time since she’d come into the shed.

“So… what are you going to do?” Daniel asked, still with the tentative tone in his voice.

“It’s not like there’s a Planned Parenthood on every corner of this planet, Daniel”.

“Right, stupid question”.

“Stupid question” she repeated, nodding.

“Are you happy?”

“Right now, I’m terrified”.

“Well, I delivered several babies while I was in Abydos” .

“And you will also have my assistance, Major Carter. And O’Neill’s”.

“Thanks, guys”. Sam smiled, some tears forming in her eyes. “I just wish we were back on Earth”.

“Back on Earth your relationship with O’Neill would have remained strictly professional” Teal’c pointed out.

“Yeah, I guess so”.

“Then you would not have been in this conundrum had we managed to return to Earth”.

“I… possibly not”.

“What I wish to convey with this, Major Carter, is that what you might think of as a lack of resources, might actually be an opportunity for something you would have never had”.

“Thanks, Teal’c. Daniel”.

They both tacitly decided to hug her, and Sam felt safe in their arms.

“Hey guys, here you have some wood to last you—”

Jack stopped talking when he saw his three teammates hugging. Then, Sam lifted her eyes and he saw a flash of pure anger directed at him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets a handful of Sam's anger. And Jack's bad at reading people.

“You!” Sam yelled, quickly getting up and putting her accusing finger on his chest. “You!” she repeated, angry.

“Me?” Jack asked, confused, not having any idea as to why Sam was so mad at him.

Daniel and Teal’c observed the scene amused—how clueless Jack was, how scared, as water dripped from his drenched hair and clothes. And, as a complete contrast, a seething Sam, a bit drier, with fire in her eyes.

“I distinctly told you to stay home today!”

“Is that what this is about? Since when do you care about my outings?” he really couldn’t understand why she was so angry.

“That’s not the point. The point is that I _asked you_ not to go and you did. In the pouring rain” she added, as if that detail would make her argument more compelling.

“Gee, sorry, Carter. I didn’t know I needed your permission to get some wood that we _all_ needed” Jack was getting angry himself, so before it all escalated any more, Daniel intervened.

“Guys, maybe you should sit down and talk things more calmly”.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Danny boy. I don’t need to tell you guys where I’m going all the time” Jack said, defending himself, angrier by the minute. But then he saw something in Sam’s face that he didn’t really know how to classify, but it tugged at his insides and he tried a more placating tone: “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Sam. I just saw the pile of logs and thought we could use with some extra…”

Sam did indeed seem more deflated when he apologized.

“It’s just that I needed to talk to you about something and it’s been raining so much I didn’t want you risking your life for some stupid wood…”

“What is it you want to talk about?”

“Let’s go to our cabin” Sam answered, taking a quick look at Daniel and Teal’c. “Thank you guys for everything.” She smiled as she handed Teal’c his now-wet blanket.

“That’s what we’re here for, Sam”.

“It is indeed a pleasure to provide you with comfort, Major Carter”.

Jack looked at the interaction with some puzzlement. Whatever it was Sam wanted to tell him, she must have told the guys—maybe she might have come to them for advice. That worried him slightly; Sam only asked for advice when the things that troubled her were serious.

“See you guys later?” he questioned, knowing he didn’t really need to—it was their custom to have dinner together. However, the hesitation that followed his question further increased his worry. What was going on?

Sam answered for Daniel and Teal’c.

“We’ll drop by to help you guys cook” she smiled softly, and both nodded when Sam confirmed that everything would continue as it were.

“Great”

“We will be patiently awaiting the both of you to arrive” Teal’c bowed his head as he replied.

“Perfect” Sam answered, and took Jack’s arm to face the cold rainy way to their cabin.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they entered their house, they both shivered from the cold and wetness that enveloped them.

“Go ahead and put some dry clothes, while I start the fire” _with the last dry logs we have_ Jack completed in his brain but did not want to continue the discussion as to why he’d decided to go get some more wood.

“Okay”.

Sam came back dressed in a warm woolen sweated she had knitted herself, and some pants she had acquired from the village market. They looked comfortable and soft.

“Go ahead and change yourself, I can stoke the fire”.

Jack nodded and went into the room to get changed as fast as he could. The tension was consuming him. He had an idea of what it might be Sam wanted to tell him.

“Okay” he said, as he returned to the main room. “So, what is it you want to tell me?”

Sam tried to smile and started “There’s no easy way to tell you this…”

“I know”.

“You do?”

“You want to break up with me, don’t you?”

“What?” Sam looked at him as if he had sprouted another head. “Why would I do that? Why would you think that?”

“Come on, Sam, you were all touchy-feely with the guys. I’ve only seen you like that once before since we got stranded, and it was when you told the guys there was nothing to salvage from the escape pods” Jack looked at her in the eyes. “So I know it’s bad news. What else can it be?”

Sam took a deep breath and turned around, not to look at him as tears brimmed in her eyes. She was hurt but did not want the feelings to overwhelm her. She breathed a couple of more times and, without turning, she said:

“I’m not going anywhere, Jack. How could you think that I would leave you?” the hurt in her voice betrayed her, and Jack realized he’d screwed up. He went towards her and tried to touch her shoulders, but she moved away from him.

“I’m sorry, Sam. I was out of line” He wanted to kick himself for being such a disaster with feelings and words. “I just saw you so angry that I thought the only reasonable explanation was that you wanted to end it”.

Sam turned around to see him. Her eyes were glistening from unshed tears. “I would never leave you, Jack. Not here, not if we were back on Earth. I love you, and that’s forever”.

“I love you too, Sam. I’m sorry. I was scared of losing you”.

“I’m pregnant, Jack. That’s what I wanted to tell you. That’s why I didn’t want you to go out today, so I could tell you” she sniffled and touched her cheek to clear a stray tear.

“What? You’re pregnant? Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be. I… My body feels weird. And I haven’t had my period in months.”

“Wow, Sam. A kid?”

“A kid…” she said as an exhale.

“Then why were you upset? This is great news!”

“I was upset because I’m terrified, Jack. We don’t have doctors here, no hospitals… I’m scared”.

“Hey, we’ll be with you every step of the way” Jack now closed the distance between them and embraced her.

“That’s what Daniel and Teal’c said” Sam rested her head on his shoulder.

“We’re a family, Sam. We are here for you. Look, we both knew this could happen. We will deal with it”.

Sam nodded and tightened her embrace.

“A kid…”

“In this hellhole of a planet…”

“Don’t think like that, Carter. At least they will be safe from Goa’ulds, replicators and the like”.

“Yeah…”

“Say, do you want to lay in bed before going to the guy’s hut?”

“There’s nothing I would like more”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, for the kudos and comments! :D
> 
> Join me next time when we'll get some details about how they got stranded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback that delves into how they first got to the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the best with the science part of the show, but I hope nothing I've written is too far off from what could have happened haha

As the Tel’tak forcefully came out of hyperdrive, it was clear they were in trouble. The systems’ alarms were blaring, smoke was coming out from everywhere and the ship’s controls seemed to have died completely.

“Teal’c?!” O’Neill’s voice was worried but still in control, assessing the situation.

“It appears we have lost control of the main systems”.

“Carter?”

“These crystals are completely broken, sir! I don’t think I can fix them”. Sam’s tone was bordering desperate through the comms.

“Try!”

Jack looked around in search for an answer, for a solution to their predicament. Teal’c was stoic, pushing buttons whose function Jack didn’t really know.

“Well?”

“Nothing is working, O’Neill. The state of the ship is critical. I do not know how much time we have until it explodes.”

“Ain’t that just peachy.”

O’Neill got up and went towards the control room where he found a panicked Daniel trying to assist Carter.

“It’s no use, sir. There’s nothing I can fix them with”. Jack sighed; he suspected as much.

“Okay. Let’s go back to Teal’c”.

As they came to the bridge, the Jaffa had stood up.

“There appears to be a planet fairly close by. I do not know whether the escape pods will be able to reach it, but our other option is death”.

Jack eyed each of his teammates and saw the resolve in their looks.

“Okay, it seems our only option. One pod each, campers. Let’s hope we get to see each other again on the planet”.

“If we don’t, sir…”

Carted started, but Jack interrupted her.

“We will”.

“It’s been an honor serving with you, sir”. She nonetheless finished, echoing words present in both of their minds. Jack nodded his head as a response.

“Come on, we don’t know how much time we really have. I’ll see you on the other side”.

One by one, they all got inside their pods, their last resource. They were feeling the familiar confinement, remembering the last time they occupied a similar space, which, in the case of Daniel, Jack and Sam, transported them to the uncertainty of hell itself. Daniel wondered if they would find a similar place on the nearby planet—if they ever made it there.

Halfway through their way to the planet, the Tel’tak exploded, leaving behind a sea of debris.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the blackness seemed to dissipate around her, Sam felt her head pounding. She reached with her hand and felt her hair sticky with blood. It took her a while to realize where she was and what had happened.

The light that was now hurting her eyes was coming from the opened crack of her escape pod’s door. She reached for it and hissed from a shooting pain that cursed through her arm.

Slowly, she opened the capsule and was hit by a wave of heat and sunshine. As she stepped out, she was surprised to see that they had landed in what looked like a desert. _Great, just great. It’s going to be terrific finding resources and walking around here_ , she thought.

She looked around and saw another pod close to her. As she approached, she realized the pod was closed. She opened it with some effort and saw and unconscious Daniel inside. She checked his pulse and was relieved to find out he was alive.

“Daniel! Daniel, wake up!” she said as she shook him.

It took her a while, but, in the end, he came to.

“Sam…?”

“Hey, Daniel, welcome back” she smiled, relieved. “We made it”.

“Ah… I think I’ve broken every bone in my body” he said, trying to move.

“Let me check” Sam started patting him with some difficulty, as her own arm did indeed seem broken.

“Jack and Teal’c?” Daniel asked groaning as Sam checked him up.

“I don’t know, you’re the first one I found”.

He nodded, gritting his teeth from the pain.

“Okay” Sam finished her assessment. “I think you might have some broken ribs, but the rest of your bones look fine”.

“They don’t _feel_ fine”.

“You are bruised all over, it’s natural that you’re hurting. I’m telling you, they’re not broken”. Sam tried to smile and offered her hand to him. “Come on, let’s get you out of there”.

They both groaned in pain as they got Daniel out. They sat on the sand, tired from their efforts.

“Space monkey! Carter!” Jack’s voice came as a relief for both scientists, who looked up to see the Colonel and Teal’c approaching them, limping slightly.

“Colonel! Teal’c! It’s good to see you” Sam’s smile brightened her face.

“Likewise, Major Carter, Daniel Jackson” Teal’c’s voice was deep but had a tinge of relief that was not that usual in the Jaffa.

“Can you walk?” Jack asked, as he assessed how his teammates were doing.

“I think so, sir. My arm seems broken, and Daniel’s got some broken ribs, but we’ll be fine”.

“Hey! Don’t _I_ have a say in how I feel?”

“Come on, Danny boy, you’ve already died once. I think you can manage several broken bones…”

Both men helped Daniel and Sam get up, and they started walking in the desert.

“Choose your favorite direction, and off we go!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole team walked for what seemed hours. In the sand and the blazing sun, their pace was slow. They didn’t have any water or rations, so it was instrumental to keep walking, in the hopes of finding resources or, even better, civilization.

The desert stretched for miles, but it eventually faded completely. It was as though the climate of the region had suddenly changed and the desert gave way to a forest.

“I have never seen anything like this” Sam commented in awe. “The weather patterns seem to be fixated in the atmosphere, rather than change with the rotation of the planet, as we can observe from the completely different ecosystems here”.

“Carter, save your science for later. Let’s hope this change in scenery brings us some water and some foo—”

The Colonel was interrupted by the point of a spear next to his face. Before any of them could react, they were surrounded.

“Who are you? Where did you come from?”

Jack looked at Daniel, who took it upon himself to communicate with the people threatening them.

“Uh… we are of the Tau’ri” he started, and as he saw the surprised faces of his audience, he tried again, “uh… from Midgard?... Earth?” they looked at him with suspicion. “Uh… we come from far away” he finally settled, “our spaceship was hit as we entered hyperdrive and it blew up. We landed with the escape pods from our ship”.

“I don’t think they have a clue of what you’re talking about, Daniel” Jack muttered under his breath.

“Uh… we came from up there” Daniel pointed at the sky, “but our home is very far away. Do you have a Stargate—a Chappa’ai? um… Astra Portia? A portal? A great ring? You know, big, round? That opens into a blue pool?” the archaeologist looked at his friends asking for help.

Sam tried:

“Where do strangers come from into this land? Do they use a specific place?”

“No strangers come to this land”.

“You have no… door to other places?”

“Some of our legends speak of an archway to the stars, but we have never seen such a thing”.

“Oh” Sam was struck by the realization that there was no Stargate on the planet.

“You are the first strangers we’ve seen in our lifetime”.

“Well, we come in peace” Jack said, stepping forward and pushing aside the spear pointed at him. “We had an accident. Our friends will soon come looking for us and we will leave”.

“We don’t want to cause any trouble” Sam added.

The natives looked at each other and, after scrutinizing the teammates of SG-1, they seemed to deem them inoffensive, probably due to the lack of guns and the poor state they found themselves in.

“We can give you shelter at a cabin that was vacated early this year. It’s up above the main hill, far from the rest of the houses. It will give you privacy and it will give us space”.

“That sounds perfect” Jack said, “lead the way”.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

The cabin up the hill was small, but it had two rooms and was indeed private. They all sat on the wooden chairs that furnished the minimalist space, and Jack took it upon himself to fill up some mugs with water for his team.

“At least they seem to have running water. I’ve no idea if it’s drinkable, but I guess it’s better than dying from dehydration”.

“Actually…”

“No _actually-s_ , Carter. It must be potable because it comes from what looks like the kitchen area. So, drink.”

They all did, and, although battered and hungry, the water seemed to do wonders to their spirit.

“So it looks like these people were brought here and buried or destroyed their gate centuries ago. They speak a variation of English, so maybe it wasn’t a Goa’uld who brought them…”

“I don’t really care about that, Daniel.” Jack said and turned to Teal’c, “do you think we can trust them?”

“They do appear to be sincere. Everybody came out of their cabins to look at us as we were passing by. I believe they are sincere when they say they have not seen strangers in this land”.

Teal’c’s answer satisfied Jack.

“Well, then, I guess we’ll have to make do until we get rescued”.

“Yes, sir”.

“There’s two rooms, so Teal’c, Daniel, you can each take one. Carter, you can sleep on that rug over there, and I’ll keep watch”.

“Are we really keeping watch while _inside_ a cabin, Jack?”

“We don’t know these people, Daniel. So, yes, we _are_ keeping watch.”

“Okay… the room’s bed seems pretty ample. I guess Sam could sleep with me instead of on the floor…”

“Sure, whatever you want” Jack replied, but he was a bit disappointed not to share the same space with his 2IC while he was awake. “Carter, you’ll take second watch; Daniel, third; and Teal’c, you’ll be the last. Let’s try to make ourselves comfortable. Tomorrow I’ll go to the village and see if we can get some medical supplies for you two. In the meantime, I hope the rudimentary fixes we did in the desert will be good enough” Jack looked at Sam and Daniel with pity: they seemed exhausted with their bodies battered.

“Rest. Tomorrow will be another day”.

“Yes, sir”.

“I will see you tomorrow, O’Neill”.

“Good night, Jack”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is experiencing some effects of her pregnancy, as well as some doubts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After last chapter's flashback, we're back to the "present" now.

Jack was awakened by Sam bolting out of the bedroom towards the small toilet outside their hut. It was still raining—although not as much as the previous weeks— but it worried Jack that she had to go out in the cold to get there.

He got up, with a blanket wrapped around him and headed outside to see how Sam was doing.

She was kneeling on the floor, above the hole they generously called _toilet_ , her hair messily tied into a ponytail with some string. She was heaving violently, her knees getting dirty on the muddy floor.

Jack leaned on his protesting knees to be at the same level as her, as he drew circles on her back, hoping the gesture would comfort her.

“Breathe, Carter”.

“Jack” was the only word she said as a response in between her heaving. She reached out with her hand and took his.

They were like that for a while: holding hands, while Jack comforted her with the other as she threw up. Once it was over, Jack hauled himself up as his knees achingly reminded him that he was not getting any younger. He helped Sam get up and placed a kiss on her forehead. It tasted salty from the sweat, and Jack couldn’t help but catalogue it as one of his favorite flavors in the world, as it usually belonged to an after-sex sweaty Carter. The occasion for the sweat this time was different—although, his mind provided, related to that other previous sweatiness.

“You okay?”

“I’ve been better” Sam’s cheeks were flushed with heat and effort.

“I figured” he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the cabin in the rain. “You should probably put on another pair of pants” he said as he took a quick glance at her muddy clothes. “Come on, I’ll fix us some breakfast”.

Sam looked pale, as if all the blood had left her face. The mere thought of food made her stomach turn, and bile raise to her throat.

“I don’t think I can eat”.

“Sam, it’s cold and rainy… there’s not much to do and you need your strength.”

“Don’t make me, Jack” she looked at him pleading with her eyes and Jack couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards her.

“Okay. Let’s get you changed and then we’ll see”.

Sam nodded, grateful for his understanding, and followed him towards their room and got changed.

“The nausea has never been this bad.”

“I guess it means the pregnancy is moving along”.

“Yeah, I guess” she sat on the bed and put her head on her hands.

Jack sat down next to her and continued caressing her back, drawing circles to try to calm her.

“Do you want me to go down to the village and ask around to see if they have anything for the nausea of pregnant women?”

“I want you to stay with me”.

“Okay. I’ll stay. I can tell Daniel to go and investigate”.

“Okay”.

“Good. Let me go tell him and I’ll be right back. You’ll never even notice I’m gone” He softly kissed her forehead. It was a simple gesture, but one that had become their signature, a way of showing love with an intimacy neither of them had known before.

Sam continued with her head on her hands, breathing deeply, trying to relax. She didn’t know how long she was like that, but felt Jack swiftly come back to her side.

“I’ve sent Daniel and Teal’c to ask around. Hopefully, they’ll get back with something to soothe you”.

“Thanks” Sam lifted her head and looked at him in the eyes, grateful. Some of her color had returned to her face, but she was still a bit pale.

“Feel like trying to eat something?”

Sam thought quietly for a second.

“I’m not sure”.

“Hmm… how about something to drink? An infusion?”

“As long as it’s not that horrible tea Teal’c loves…”

The answer satisfied Jack, and he got up, smiling, offering Sam help to get on her feet. “Let’s go to the kitchen, then”.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel and Teal’c did not take too long to arrive at Sam and Jack’s cabin. The pair was having a couple of infusions in lieu of a heartier breakfast, and they were enjoying the sounds of nature as their teammates entered the house. Daniel had some sort of plants in his hands and a bright smile on his face. Before Sam or Jack could ask, the archeologist began recounting their findings.

“The village healer, you know, the nice woman married to Edmond, the winemaker—um what is her name…? Elsa? Elna? Well, you know who I’m talking about. The one who treated our injuries when we first got here. She was happy to know about your pregnancy— said she was getting concerned it hadn’t happened earlier…” Sam and Jack looked at Daniel impatiently, so he tried to abbreviate his story, “Anyways, she gave me these. You can eat them raw or boil them into a soup or a tea of sorts. Apparently, they do wonders for women with nausea”.

“The woman suggested only a small intake of the plants” Teal’c added.

“Oh, right, right. Apparently if you take too many, they cause hallucinations”.

“Huh, I may want to try some of those, then” Jack said, which made Sam laugh—a sign that she was feeling better after how she’d started the morning.

“She also said that when the time comes, she can assist with the birth” Daniel finished, ignoring Jack’s comment.

“That’s very kind of her” Sam felt grateful that a stranger was willing to help her with something as important as that. Sure, all the villagers had treated them well, and helped them when needed, but they all still kept a distance between them, that sometimes felt unsurmountable.

“Yeah, well, she was happy. I think the whole village must know by now… when we left her, she was already telling her daughter”.

Although she had expected it, realizing that everybody down the village might know about her pregnancy felt a bit too intrusive for Sam. She had hoped to have more time to prepare herself, or maybe be able to be the one who told the villager. And definitely not _all_ of them, but at least the couple of people she had become closer to: for example, the tinker and his brother, who had helped her carry parts of the escape pods to her cabin.

“I guess sooner or later everyone would know, so…” Sam said, resigned. Then, a wave of nausea filled her body. “How about we try the miracle herbs?”

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, just as Daniel and Teal’c left to their cabin, Jack led Sam to bed. He was gentle with her, which did not go unnoticed by Sam.

“I’m okay, Jack”.

“I know, I know” he smiled, “I just want to pamper you, is all”.

“Well, don’t. I’m fine. The herbs seem to be working”.

“I’m glad” Jack answered, but he could not help but notice a bit of resentment in Sam’s tone. “You okay?”

“I just told you I was”.

“Right. It’s just…”

“It’s just?”

“I don’t know, you sounded… angry?”

“I’m not angry” Sam said, but her voice was snippy.

Jack raised an eyebrow in questioning, and Sam sighed as an admission.

“Okay… I might be a bit angry. Blame it on the hormones”.

“I will, but first I want to know what you are angry about”.

“I don’t know”.

“Try. Humor me”.

“Hmm. I guess I’m angry at you treating me like an invalid”.

“Hey, now, that’s not fair. I’ve been treating you more carefully today because, let’s face it, you’ve been feeling rotten”.

“Still… I’m a soldier, Jack. I don’t like being treated as if I was… weak, powerless”.

“Okay” Jack wasn’t really convinced but acquiesced for the time being. “I’ll be _less_ careful around you”.

“Thanks” Sam ran a hand through her hair and continued. “I just… ugh. I hate it here, Jack”.

The statement came as a surprise and it broke his heart a little. After all, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances in which they found themselves, the planet had also meant finally getting together, even starting a family. Jack gulped audibly and Sam understood what was going through his mind.

“I’m sorry. You know that’s not completely true. But don’t you still feel like an outsider to these people? And here we are. No chance of getting out. And we’re going to raise a kid who’s still going to be a stranger.

“Sam, I get that. But I’m doing as much as I can to make the villagers trust us completely” Jack caressed Sam’s cheek gently. “That kid is not going to be left out. They’ll have friends and play, and we’ll give them an education. That kid will be fine. And you will be fine. We all will.”

“If you say so…”

“I _know_ so” Jack pulled her into his arms. “You’ll see. Have some faith in me”.

“Okay”. Sam smiled slightly. “I guess you are right. After all, the villagers have been nothing but good to us”.

“Yes. And our child will not technically be an outsider”.

Sam eyed him, contemplating the truth of his words. “I guess you’re right”.

Jack smiled, satisfied.

They both tacitly decided to go to sleep, but at that moment, someone knocked on the front door.

“It’s probably Daniel. I’ll get it” Jack got up groaning.

He was surprised, however, when he opened the door and saw a small old woman standing in front of him. It was the mother of one of the villagers Jack usually went hunting with.

“Oh, hi, Mrs. Gullie, I… we were not expecting you”.

“I know, youngster. But I was told your woman is with child”.

Jack still winced a little from the choice of words but tried to smile sincerely.

“Yes, she is”.

“Well, then, congratulations are in order. I brought you this.”

She showed him what she was holding: it was what it looked like a small, knitted bodysuit. It looked soft, and Jack guessed the old woman must have used some sort of cotton to make it.

“This will keep the child warm” she said as an explanation.

“Wow. Thank you so much. It’s very generous of you”.

“Nonsense. It was a nice way to spend my day. I hope you put it to good use”.

“Oh, I can assure you we will. Umm, why don’t you come in? I can give you some tea.”

“Ah, no, no. It’s too late. In truth, I should have waited until the morning, but I could not resist. I’ll be on my way. Give that woman of yours my regards.”

“I will, thanks”.

And just like that, the old woman left.

Jack returned to the bedroom with a wide smile on his face and the bodysuit in his hands. Before Sam could ask, he showed her the item and told her:

“I think we are going to be just fine”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel goes to check in on Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for some reason this chapter turned out a bit angstier than I had planned.

Sam was in her Zen place: hammering nails to the wooden boards she had previously cut and polished. She could hear the raindrops falling on the rooftop. It had been raining almost non-stop for months now, and, while it sometimes depressed her, that morning she thought it was a great soundtrack. 

Doing woodwork was not exactly her specialty, but it was close enough. She loved being able to create something with her own hands; she liked the power, the control of decision making. She had considered using metal, but it seemed too much for such a job. So, wood it was, then. Little by little, as she assembled the boards together, Sam was feeling more and more satisfied with her handywork. 

For a moment, she felt a peace she hadn’t really felt in weeks. She was so concentrated that she didn’t hear Daniel enter the room.

“Hey, Sam”.

“Jeez, Daniel! You scared the hell out of me!” Sam practically jumped out of her seat. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you”. He smiled and then eyed the project in Sam’s hands. “Wow, the crib is coming along great!”

“Thanks. I was debating whether to find some pigments to paint it or not”.

“We can always ask around”.

“Yeah, I guess. I also need some fur to use as a mattress of sorts on the crib, so…”

Daniel sat down next to Sam and looked at her in the eyes when he asked:

“How are you feeling?”

Sam understood that he wanted her to be sincere, and not dismiss the question as she usually did. 

“Right now, at peace. Enjoying the comfort of the rain, keeping busy with these silly projects”.

“I don’t think they’re silly”.

“You know what I mean. It’s not like handling naquadah to protect the universe…”

“Still, they are _important_ ”.

Sam smiled a little, but it did not quite reach her eyes. 

“What about you? How are you? How come you’re not in the temple?”

“Oh, well, you know… one can also get a little bored from trying to understand an ancient culture…”

Sam raised an eyebrow in question.

“Okay, you got me. Jack may have told me to keep an eye on you…” he ran a hand through his hair in defeat. What was it about Sam, that he never found the strength to look at her in the eye and lie?

“Why did he do that?”

Daniel sighed. “He said you’ve been sad?” the questioning tone in his statement attenuated that he really knew it was true.

“I…” Sam scoffed a laugh and rephrased what she was thinking. “Look, my hormones are running wild, it’s been raining for _months_ and we are stranded. I have reasons not to be peppy about this situation”.

“I know. And I’m not questioning the validity of those feelings. I just want to be with you, in case you need a shoulder to cry on, while our roommates are away hunting”.

Sam looked at Daniel in the eyes and saw the same fraternal love he had always showed her. 

“My pregnancy is beginning to show” Sam said, as if the statement alone explained everything that was going on in her head.

“I can see that”.

“It scares me”.

“I know”.

“And I guess that being scared makes me sad”, she confessed, her eyes still fixed on him. Daniel nodded in understanding. He remained silent, in case she wanted to go on, which she eventually did. “I feel I’m failing at this maternity thing”.

“You’re not, Sam”.

“You don’t know that. I should be happy, but I’m not. And Jack is now tiptoeing around me and it’s driving me insane”.

“Jack doesn’t want to upset you, Sam”.

“I know, I know he means well. But every time he makes me feel like a failure”.

“You’re not a failure. I don’t know how to make you realize about that”.

“You don’t need to, Daniel”. Sam smiled softly. “I’m actually glad you came”.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yes, that way you can help me finish assembling the crib” she said, diverting the archaeologist’s attention.

“I can try” he said, smiling, not really realizing about the distracting maneuver.

It took them several minutes, but the crib was finally finished. 

“I love how it looks. You’re a master woodworker, Sam.”

She smiled, proudly, looking at the finalized product in front of them.

“It does look good, doesn’t it?”

“You bet”.

“Wanna come down to the village to see if we find the furs I need?”

“Don’t you prefer to wait for Jack and Teal’c to finish hunting and see what fur they might bring back?”

Sam thought quietly for a second. It was true that Jack might be upset if she brought home other furs while he was still hunting. As the thought crossed her mind, she realized just how primitive it sounded. Her lips twisted into a smile, and Daniel laughed as he understood the untold joke.

“That’s what our life has become, isn’t it?”

“It’s a rustic life, Daniel” Sam joked, and together they laughed for a bit, leaving their worries behind, listening to the nature surrounding them, being happy for a second. 

“How about we go to my cabin and have some lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan”.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

They ate making idle chat that consisted pretty much of Daniel’s findings about the culture of the village. He was enjoying the writings about the lost Stargate, that the legends called “Archway to the stars”. He still had no luck in finding a reference as to what happened to it, but he suspected it may have to do with the implication of an advanced race, like the Ancients or the Nox. 

Sam tried to listen attentively to the archeologist, glad that the conversation had turned away from her feelings. She also found it an interesting topic, as it might shed some light on their situation— and maybe help them come back home. Although she had decided not to put much hope into that; it was better to be pleasantly surprised than utterly disappointed. 

As they washed the clay plates, Sam felt grateful to have a man as attentive as Daniel as a friend, so she decided to share some of that gratefulness: 

“Thank you for this, Daniel”.

“Oh, anytime” he smiled. 

“I’ve been a bit distant lately and I hadn’t realized how much I missed just talking to you”.

“You know you can come to me to talk any time, don’t you?”

“Yeah, and I appreciate it” she squeezed his wet hand with affection, a gesture he reciprocated.

“So” Daniel started.

“So?”

“Now that you have the crib, what other projects are there in your horizon?”

Sam smiled at his nerdy choice of words.

“Hmmm, I don’t know. I was thinking some toys, maybe. Like a mobile to put above the crib. And we will eventually need a highchair. I’m guessing a stroller would be pointless, considering the terrain. And, well, I’ll have to teach myself to knit some clothes”.

“Wow, that’s a lot of projects”.

“Well, not everyone has undecipherable tablets from ancient civilizations to pass the time…” she teased him.

“You know you are welcome to help me with my translations”.

“I’m sad, not desperate, Daniel”. Sam’s tone was still playful, but Daniel’s face fell a little with her words. Sam realized what had saddened her friend and added, “I’m sorry, Daniel, I didn’t…”

“Hey, it’s okay, Sam” he interrupted her. “As I told you before, I’m not questioning how you feel. I just wish I could do something to make you feel better”.

“You did” Sam smiled sincerely, “spending the day with you helped me think of other things not related to the baby”.

“I’m glad” Daniel answered, fixing his glasses on his nose. “And I meant it when I said that you could come help me with the translations”.

“I don't think they let women inside the temple”.

“We can work around that, you know”.

“I’ll keep it in mind” Sam smiled and hugged Daniel, which he gladly accepted.

They hugged for a while, until Sam got the courage to ask his friend a question that had been in her mind since she first told him she was pregnant.

“The women in Abydos you helped… did they have any trouble with their pregnancies or births?”

Daniel considered lying to her but was disarmed by her gaze. It was definitely her eyes, he thought, defeated, that made it impossible for him to lie to her. 

“One of them had a perfect pregnancy, and a normal birth”.

“But the other…”

“The other had a complicated pregnancy and a long, painful birth”. 

“How long and painful?”

“Sam…”

“How long and painful, Daniel’”

Daniel averted his eyes as he answered.

“None of the natural sedatives worked on her, so she was in a lot of pain for a long time. Two days”.

Sam closed her eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. 

“She also lost a lot of blood, but we managed to save both her and her baby”.

“Thanks for not lying to me, Daniel”.

“You would have noticed, anyway”.

Sam giggled, acknowledging he was right. 

“Besides, it’s good that I can tell you that, because I can also assure you that I am familiar with both experiences, and I know what to do in any case”.

Sam smiled and mechanically placed a hand on her swelling stomach.

“And I feel safer knowing that”.

“Then I’m satisfied”.

The two friends spent the rest of their evening together until Teal’c and Jack arrived with what they had hunted. They would have food for days, and Sam could finish furnishing the crib.

By the time Sam climbed onto bed with Jack, she was exhausted. It had been an emotionally taxing day, so she just hugged him tight and rested her head on his shoulder until she fell asleep. She felt a bit safer like that.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Join me next time with another flashback!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General Hammond asks for help to find SG-1; Jack begins a new project on the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another flashback, two months into the disappearance of SG-1

“It’s the Tok’ra IDC, sir”.

“Open the iris”.

As George Hammond descended to the ramp, he knew exactly who was going to appear through the gate. He only hoped he’d have better news than his. 

“Jacob, it’s good to see you” he said as a courtesy, rather than because he meant it.

“I wish it could be under different circumstances.” His voice was stern, harsher than he’d probably intended to. Despite the symbiote, George thought his old friend looked older, jaded, more tired, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks.

“I agree. Why don’t we go into my office?”

Both men climbed the stairs in silence, immersed in their thoughts about what brought them together that day.

“Do the Tok’ra have any news?” George asked, getting to the point as soon as they both sat in the chairs of his office. 

Jacob sighed with defeat. Not a sight George had hoped. 

“No. We’ve been back at the rendezvous point and checked again that there was no sign of them. The theory we are managing is that they must have come out of hyperdrive before reaching it”.

“Yes, that’s what we’ve concluded as well. If they had landed on a planet with a gate, they would have gated to the Alpha site…”

“George, it’s been two months already…”

“I know. I haven’t given up on them yet”.

“Me neither, but the Tok’ra believe that our problems are far greater than trying to find SG-1”.

“I understand. I myself am getting pressured to declare them MIA, but I’m trying to stretch it as long as I can. I want to be able to use Prometheus to scan the area between the battle and the rendezvous”.

“There’s a lot of space out there, George”.

“I am aware. But I refuse to think that they are dead”.

“As I told you, I haven’t given up on them either. I will continue searching for them, despite what the Tok’ra Council might say. I’m just letting you know that you may not get more help from us than me”. 

“Is Selmak on board with that?”

Jacob bowed his head and his eyes glowed, letting the General know that it was now the symbiote talking:

“I am the one who insisted. The disappearance of Samantha has brought great distress to Jacob. We are of no use to the Tok’ra like this”.

“Okay. I am grateful for your help”. 

Selmak bowed his head and let the host speak again: 

“I will ask around and see if there’s been any reports on a Tel’tak landing in any of the planets between the battle and the rendezvous point”.

“Good. That’s good.”

“Have you contacted the Asgard?”

“I have tried. They are occupied with larger battles to be able to spare us Thor”.

“Of course. I figured.”

“I’m sorry I don’t have better news, Jacob”.

“Likewise”. Jacob took a minute to collect his thoughts. “I’ll try to do what I can. I have a couple of Tok’ra allies who might be able to help, too. They believe that without SG-1 we are all doomed. Hopefully, their help will be enough”.

“Good. I am using all the resources I can from the SGC until I’m forced to declare them MIA”.

“How long do you think you can last?”

“Let’s hope it’s long enough”.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack was tired of everything. He was tired of the villagers looking at them with suspicion. He was tired of Daniel’s attempts at communicating efficiently with them. He was tired of Carter going out to the desert every day to work on the escape pods and returning empty handed. He was even tired of Teal’c’s grim looks, judging his failures in silence. But mostly he was tired of being cramped in the small space of their cabin for so long. He couldn’t take it anymore. 

Sure, if he were honest to himself, he’d probably admit that he just felt jealous that his teammates still had hope to get back home. Not him. His time on Edora should have taught him about holding on to hope, but in reality, what he remembered the most was the need to adapt and survive in new circumstances. Plus, that time he had Carter with all the resources in the world working day and night to rescue him. Now… Carter was still working as tirelessly, but with no resources at hand.

So, no, he didn’t really have any hope left of ever returning to Earth.

That night, he decided to take the same approach as in Edora: _adapt, survive_. And, the first step, he thought, would be to fix the cramped-space issue.

He got up from the chair and went outside with an ax. Both Daniel and Sam barely had time to look up from the documents and mechanical pieces they were respectively examining. They shared a concerned look and eyed Teal’c, who simply raised an eyebrow, acknowledging their confusion. 

“I’ll go” Sam got up and tried to follow her commanding officer.

In the complete darkness, she could see several houses lit by torches in the village below the hill where they were.

The dark silhouette of her CO took her a bit longer to discern. She followed the sounds he was making, not knowing exactly where he was or what he was doing. She was careful not to trip on the tree roots that were covering the ground. 

It took her longer than she had hoped, but she finally found him. He was cutting down a tree with an intensity that seemed to exude an anger she hadn’t seen in him in a while. 

“Sir?” she announced her presence.

“Zip it, Carter, I don’t need to hear it”.

“I was just going to ask you what you were doing, sir”. 

Jack stopped his chopping. He had thought she would have guessed already.

“What does it look like I’m doing, Carter?”

Sam was hesitant for a second. She took the anger in his tone as a warning not to say the wrong thing.

“Chopping wood, sir?” she finally asked.

“Yeah”.

“Hmm… is there a reason for that, sir? We have plenty of wood in the cabin”.

“Yes, there is a reason. We have plenty of wood in the cabin, but not plenty of cabin for us”.

Sam looked at him with a questioning gaze, not really understanding where he was going with it. If he could have seen her expression in the darkness, he would have considered it insubordinate. 

“I don’t think I follow, sir”.

Jack exhaled an exasperate breath. Was his reasoning so hard to understand? Couldn’t the brightest mind he knew read his thoughts?

“We’ve been living two months in a tiny two-bedroom cabin. We are cramped in there. So I am changing that.”

It finally dawned on Sam.

“You are building another cabin, sir?”

“Yep. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“But sir…”

“No buts, Carter. I can’t take it anymore. Since we are stuck in here, we might as well be more comfortable.”

“Don’t you think we’re going to get rescued, sir?”

Sam’s question felt like a needle piercing his heart. He hated to have to break the news to her, but he did, anyway.

“Come on, Carter. As much as I know that both you and Jackson are used to performing miracles, there’s not much to do here. If there’s still a chance that the SGC is still looking for us, they so far have been unsuccessful and there’s not a lot of hope that they’ll find us. Plus, they’ll have to declare us MIA if they haven’t already. We’re staying here. You might as well start getting used to the idea”.

Jack hated having to be so harsh with her, but he really wanted his 2IC to realize that, as hopeful as she was, she had to accept the reality that their chances of getting out were slim.

“Yes, sir”. Sam said as a reply, and Jack thought that she would be getting back to the cabin. However, she added: “Then let me help you, sir. We can build a two-room hut”.

If he could see her face in the complete darkness, he would have observed determination, understanding, and maybe… hope?

“Okay, Carter. Go pick up an ax. There are plenty of trees to cut down.”

“Yes, sir”.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Carter came back with an ax in her hands and Daniel and Teal’c on her tail.

“They volunteered to help, sir” she said as an explanation.

“Did you think you could have all the fun by yourself, Jack?”

The Colonel look at the archeologist amused.

“Since when do you consider cutting down trees _fun_ , Danny boy?”

“Oh, come on, even a linguist can get tired of looking at manuscripts all day…”

“Well, suit yourself. Teal’c?”

“I am happy to assist by whatever means necessary to construct a new cabin”.

“Great. Well, we can all get started, then. We’ll start cutting all these trees down, and we can use them later to build the cabin. We have plenty of work and plenty of time”.

“Indeed, I do believe this project will take a while to be completed”. 

“Well, don’t say that I don’t keep you entertained”.

Jack smiled for the first time that night. He was glad that his teammates were so eager to help him unconditionally, no questions asked.

And, if he were honest to himself, his heart skipped a beat when he thought of Sam’s suggestion of getting a two-bedroom cabin. It was her not-so-subtle way of asking him to share a house, and, thus, he had never felt so eager about finishing a construction project in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This flashback is beginning to hint at Sam+Jack; we will get there eventually while simultaneously following Sam's pregnancy in the present.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sitting on her makeshift workshop, Sam reflects on the past few months on the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This begins with a flashback of sorts and gets into the present, in which Sam is already a few months along.

In the beginning, Sam decided to go back to the desert and examine what was left of the escape pods. Even with her broken arm, she considered it too important not to do it. She used to leave for the desert early in the mornings and return when it was too dark and cold for her to make any more advances. 

In the beginning, she just wanted to know if there was anything salvageable, any mechanisms that could maybe be used to come back home somehow. 

As time went by, and her arm got better, Sam decided that maybe she could pick the escape pods apart and bring them to the cabin. She enlisted a couple of eager young men from the village: the tinker, Romer, and his brother, Tazz, who used to greet her on her way to the desert.

It felt almost natural, really. One day, instead of just having some small talk about the weather —the wet weather was coming, they had warned her the previous morning— she just asked them to come with her. _I need help disassembling some parts from our escape pods, and your expertise might be of great help_ , she’d told them. The young men’s eyes glistened with eagerness and anticipation. They were rather enchanted by Sam, so being able to help her was a highlight in their monotonous day. 

For the next couple of weeks, the three of them worked hard in getting the parts Sam deemed important. After hours of hard work during the daylight, they all returned to the village with as many parts as they could transport. The boys were so helpful that they even climbed the hill towards the cabin with the parts.

After several weeks, all the pieces that might have been salvageable were littering the cabin. The other one was still in process of being built, and Sam knew that she had to find something useful, or else she’d meet the ire of her CO.

Weeks of tinkering with the spare parts made her hold onto hope, onto the past she knew, in which she would perform miracles on a weekly basis.

By the time the second cabin was finished, Sam began transferring the parts from one cabin to the other. As it turned out, they wouldn’t really need to use the second bedroom, so she converted it into her lab of sorts. 

There, she worked tirelessly, day and night, trying to… trying to do what, exactly? How could she use those pieces of technology for something else than just a theoretical exercise? She could not fly with them—there was no gate to fix; there was no way of using them to transmit a subspace signal. In truth, she finally realized, she had been toying with the parts of the pods to be able to hold onto something; not to let go of her old life. 

But there was no use for those pieces. She would have to admit it to herself, and to the guys. She had failed. 

Sam was now sitting on the table of her workshop, absent-mindedly caressing her pregnant belly as she remembered all the months working in that table to no avail. All the parts were still sitting there, mocking her failure. She wondered for a minute if maybe there was something she had missed, something that held the key to get them out of there…

And yet, she knew she had spent way too much time in reaching the conclusion that there wasn’t anything to get them out. There were no miracles for them.

Sam got up clumsily. She hated to admit it but moving around was getting more and more complicated. She tried to bend down to pick up one of the parts from the floor and found it almost impossible. She sighed, exasperated. 

“Jack?!” she called.

He appeared next to her in a matter of seconds, concern plastered on his face.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just can’t reach that part down there” her frustrated tone slightly amused Jack. He bent down and grabbed it. 

“Here you go,” he said as he handed it to her. “I thought you had given up on the escape pods?”

“I have, that’s why I’ve decided to throw away the parts.”

Jack hadn’t expected Sam to completely let go of her mechanical project. The escape pods and their parts were a symbol of hope for her, a reminder of who she was, and, even after she’d told them there was nothing for her to do with the parts, she had continued working with them, thinking about engineering problems and whatnot. Jack had let her keep them in her lab; he understood that she needed something productive not to lose her mind, just as much as he needed the rush of adrenaline when he went hunting. 

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Jack, the baby is coming soon. Look at the room: the crib is surrounded by useless parts; it’s almost buried under them!”

Jack did indeed look around the room. He had to admit that she was right, but he had allowed her to use the space as she pleased and had not really thought about attuning the room for the baby. 

“I guess you’re right”.

“I am. And it’s getting harder and harder for me to move around, so I want to get rid of these parts before you have to do it alone”.

“I’m not sure you should be lifting heavy objects…”

“Jack…” she started to protest, but he interrupted her.

“Sam, I mean it. Look, you want to rearrange the room and turn it into a nursery? Fine. That’s great. But we are going to get Daniel and Teal’c to help, and you’re going to sit and command”.

“Jack, I am perfectly capable of lifting things”.

“I’m not saying you’re not. If you want, you can grab the least heavy ones, but that’s about it. Come on, don’t you want to see us get all masculine and sweaty while you call all the shots?”

He shot her a mischievous look that instantly disarmed her. She tried to suppress the smile that formed in her lips but failed to do so.

“See? That’s a yes. Stay here. Don’t lift heavy objects while I go enlist Daniel and Teal’c”.

“Fine” Sam conceded, as Jack stood up and left. 

She drew a couple of circles in her stomach and softly spoke to her baby.

“Your daddy and uncles want to do everything for us. They care so much and love us so much that it makes me emotional, little one” she sniffled a couple of tears that were threatening to fall. 

Then, Sam looked around the room that was soon to be a nursery of sorts, and she couldn’t really hold her tears anymore. As she started crying, she wondered if they were tears of sadness or happiness. She decided it was probably a bit of both: she was sad of finally letting go of the past, of finally accepting her life on that planet fully, of leaving behind any hope she’d ever held of coming back to Earth. But, although that made her sad, it also made her happy. Happy that she finally had a life with Jack, that she could be a mother, that her baby would have a nice nursery, that she could focus on more important things than holding onto the past, that was probably holding her back.

The three men came back to a crying Sam.

“Sam? Are you okay?” Jack’s voice was gentle, as he approached her with open arms, inviting her to be embraced. The past Sam would not have accepted the invitation in front of the guys, but this was a hormone-riddled, emotional Sam. She closed the space between them and allowed him to hug her. She placed her head on his shoulder and answered, sniffling. 

“Yeah, I was just getting emotional”.

“You sure?” Jack checked.

“Yeah, it’s nothing, really” Sam smiled, and when she saw Daniel’s and Teal’c’s concerned looks, she explained, “I was just a bit emotional thinking that this room will be my baby’s nursery. Huh. Even saying it aloud sounds strange”.

The three men relaxed their expressions when they heard her explanation.

“Yeah, it’s pretty wild, huh?” Daniel commented.

“I do not believe there is anything undomesticated in motherhood”.

Daniel sighed, Jack smiled, and Sam giggled, but none of them explained Teal’c the joke.

“Anyway,” Jack started, changing the subject, “why don’t we start with the heavier parts? I’m guessing you’ll want us to bring them to the tinker?”

“Yes, Romer will find something useful to do with them”.

“Good. You heard the lady. Let’s get to it”.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took them longer than they had expected. None of the men had realized exactly how many parts Sam had managed to bring to the cabin. 

By the time they finished, they were all fairly exhausted. Sam waited for them in the kitchen, having cooked a meal as a way of saying thanks. When they entered the cabin and saw—and smelled— the food, their eyes glistened.

“Don’t get used to this” Sam warned, “but you’ve been so helpful today, that it’s the least I could do”.

“Thanks, Sam”.

“Thanks”.

“Thank you, Major Carter”.

“You know, Teal’c I haven’t minded you calling me that this long, but I think it’s about time you dropped it”.

“I will do so then, Samantha”.

Sam smiled. It was about time she left the past behind.

That night, as they had dinner together, they spoke of the future. They considered baby names —each more absurd, to Sam’s mortification and Jack’s amusement—, they debated different toys to build, and they thought of ways to decorate the now-almost-empty nursery room.

As they considered the future, they also remembered the past, embodied in people they wished could be there with them. Janet, who would definitely be of great assistance with Sam’s pregnancy, and was probably feeling sad alone back in the SGC; Jacob, who would first kill Jack with his gaze but then be ecstatic to be a grandfather again; General Hammond, who would probably have to mask his amusement at knowing that finally his two best officers had succumbed to their feelings.

They talked about what they would say if they were there with them, how they would react to Sam’s pregnancy. And they also wondered when they would have given up on searching for them; how hard it would have been for the General to declared them MIA; how much trouble Jacob and Selmak would have gotten into with the Tok’ra; how sad Cassie would have been when Janet told her about their disappearance…

Past, present, and future mixed in their late-night talk, and they all felt a mixture of nostalgia and hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading!
> 
> In my mind, the events of this fanfic happen around the beginning of season 7, so Janet and Jacob are alive, and Daniel has already ascended and descended.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Jack get intimate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has pregnant sex in it. It's nothing super graphic, but if that makes you uncomfortable, you can skim through it. I will update the rating of the fanfic.

“Goddammit” was the only thing Jack heard as he felt Sam leave the warm and comfortable bed. He was tired—from the little light that entered the window, he could tell it must be very early in the morning.

He rolled around the bed, feeling the warmth that still emanated from the spot Sam had been occupying. He could smell her particular scent, that was sweet and floral. He’d seen her buy perfumes from the village’s apothecary, but he suspected most of her scent was natural—there was something of her old fragrance still in her, probably increased by the pregnancy hormones.

In his drowsy state, Jack felt almost drunk from her aroma. He almost didn’t hear Sam come back, but felt her warmth invade him as she climbed back onto bed. 

“You okay?” he asked, more mumbling than actually talking.

“Yeah. I just needed to use the bathroom”.

“I guess the little one is pressing on your bladder”.

“I’m peeing more than ever in my life” Sam’s tone had the same drowsy quality as his, so Jack guessed she must be as tired. “Thank god it’s stopped raining”.

“Hmm” he murmured, “I’m still sorry that you have to go out to pee…”

“It’s not like there was anything we could do about it…”

“I know”. Jack started playing with Sam’s long, unruly hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the intimacy of the touch. Jack loved caressing her, massaging her scalp—and the moans he elicited from her. 

“Have you been sleeping well?” he finally asked, as Sam comfortably placed her head on his shoulders. 

“Not really…” she sighed, “it’s hard to find a posture, and I’ve been having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night the past few weeks”.

“Hmm, I’m sorry about that” Jack didn’t really know what else to say. He placed a hand on Sam’s big, pregnant belly and softly felt it rise and fall with her breathing.

“It won’t be long” Sam said as a reply, placing her hand on Jack’s.

“No, it won’t”. Sam could feel the smile in Jack’s lips as his head was buried on her hair. He gently kissed her and whispered, “I love you”.

Sam turned to look at him in the eyes as she replied: “I love you, too”.

She closed the space between them and kissed him deeply. He responded by caressing her back as they kissed. She was warm and smooth, and it sometimes felt like a dream to him that he could freely touch her, get drunk from her scent, feel her warmth. 

Sam sat up and awkwardly positioned herself in front of Jack. She kissed him again, as he placed both of his hands on her stomach separating them.

The caresses soon turned into heavy petting, and the both of them shared a lusty look on their eyes. It was still a bit cold, but they silently decided to undress each other, hoping that the warmth of their bodies and the furs dressing the bed would be enough. 

As he undressed her, Jack took a moment to enjoy the view in front of him. Sam had never looked more beautiful in his opinion. He had never believed the saying that pregnant women glowed, but that was exactly what Sam was doing: glowing beautifully in front of him.

“God, you’re gorgeous, Sam”.

“You’re not bad yourself” she smiled playfully as she got closer to kiss him again.

They had made love during her pregnancy before, but not as far along, so Jack lifted Sam’s face to look at him before she could kiss him. 

“How do you want to do this?” he asked. Sam slightly frowned, not really understanding the question. 

“Like we’ve always done?” she answered, looking at him confused.

“I mean… maybe it’s uncomfortable for you to be on top… or below, for that matter”.

“Hmm” she thought silently for a while. “How about sideways?” 

Jack smiled, satisfied by her answer.

“That’s why you’re a genius, Carter” he kissed her hard, reveling in the sensations as they moved in unison to change postures. 

They couldn’t keep their hands to themselves as they touched each other with care but passion. Sam’s body had never felt like it did at that time. It was as if all of her sensations were heightened, as if every touch sent a wave of pleasure through her whole body. Jack was well aware of this fact, for he could observe the effect his hands had on Sam and, in turn, felt an intense arousal of his own.

Sam’s moans were like heavenly music for Jack—the soundtrack he had longed for during the first seven years serving at the SGC alongside the blonde who now laid beside him. 

They didn’t bother being quiet, as their only neighbors were Daniel and Teal’c and the other cabin was far enough. And boy did Jack love to hear how vocal Sam was in bed. In the past almost two years, he had come to discover a wide array of sounds that she made in bed; and getting to know them and classify them had been one of the most entertaining things on that planet. 

At that moment, Sam’s moans felt a bit different: louder, filled with more pleasure than ever before. Jack kissed her again, wanting to feel her moans in his mouth. 

As their hands moved around their bodies, Jack could not wait anymore and entered her. Sam’s groan of absolute pleasure elicited a groan of his own. He moved slowly, wanting to enjoy every second, tasting her lips, reveling in how much she seemed to be enjoying it. 

“God, Jack” Sam huffed, her breath catching up in her throat. She felt overwhelmed by emotion and arousal. “Faster” she demanded, almost ready to come. 

Jack complied and picked up his pace, relishing how good he felt inside her. He knew Sam was close to an orgasm and knew that if he was concentrated enough, he’d be able to make her come at least twice. 

They were both enveloped in the moment, thoroughly enjoying each other’s bodies when they were interrupted by a knocking on the front door. 

They both stopped dead in their tracks, listening to see who it might be—and then they heard Daniel’s voice.

“Jack! Sam! Are you in there?!”

Jack looked at Sam in the eyes.

“He’ll leave. We can continue in silence”.

“Jack! Sam!” Daniel’s voice and knocks continued once again.

“It’s Daniel, Jack. He’ll never leave” Sam said, and, as much as it pained him, Jack knew she was right.

“You would think he might have heard us… it’s not like we were quiet…” Jack sighed, still inside of Sam, with little intention of moving out. 

“It’s Daniel we’re talking about, Jack. He’s probably with his nose too deep in whatever he’s studying to even notice…” Sam’s face was filled with disappointment—she was so close…

“Sam! Jack!”

“Ugh! Okay, okay, I’ll move!” Jack pulled out of Sam—who instantly felt the emptiness as he did so— and started dressing, annoyed. “You go ahead and finish what I started. I know you were almost there”.

“Okay, try to distract him outside of the cabin” Sam told him as she moved her hands to where Jack had just left. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What is it, Daniel?” Jack grunted as a way of greeting. 

“I think I found it!” Daniel couldn’t contain his excitement. 

“You found what?” Jack asked, not bothering to hide his foul mood. 

“The Stargate!!!” Daniel lifted his gaze from a papyrus he was holding and tried to look inside the cabin. “Where’s Sam?”

“She had… unfinished business to attend to” Jack looked at him smirking, but Daniel did not catch on to his meaning.

“I thought you guys finished the nursery weeks ago”.

“We did. That’s not…” Jack started, but Daniel interrupted him.

“Anyways, I need her to confirm the position of these stars. Do you think she might remember that from all of her calculations back home? I mean, it’s not instrumental, but it would confirm that the manuscript is referring to this planet and not…”

“Daniel, Sam is busy. Can you come back later?”

“Later? Are you not listening to what I’m saying? I may have found the location of the Stargate! A way back home!”

“I’m listening, Daniel. And as much as I would love to hear you explain how you got that information the gate won’t move from its location in the couple of hours I’m asking you to give us”.

“But Jack! I have been working non-stop for almost two years to get here! Aren’t you a bit curious? Let me tell Sam, I’m sure she will be more appreciative…”

“Daniel, how many times do I have to tell you that Sam…”

“…is right here” she said, as she placed her hands on Jack’s shoulders. 

“Sam! I found it! The Stargate!” Daniel hadn’t lost his enthusiasm. 

“You found the gate?” Sam asked surprised, and Daniel was definitely happier with her reaction. 

“I think so, but I would like you to take a look at this star-chart to confirm my suspicions”. 

“Okay, let me see. What is it you want me to check?”

“I need to know whether the chart matches the planet’s solar system…”

“I’ll leave you two to it” Jack said, as he turned back inside the cabin with the intention of getting some sleep—or maybe some relief.

But then, he heard Daniel gasp and Sam say “uh-oh”.

He turned back and saw Sam’s panicked expression.

“My water just broke!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback time! 
> 
> During month four of their stay on the planet, the team finishes the second cabin, and certain developments happen between Sam and Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I left you with the cliffhanger from last time for yet another chapter? Yes, because I am evil muahahaha
> 
> The upside is that you get some Sam and Jack sexy-times in this chapter as well.

It was really a sight to behold; it stood there, tall, rustic, robust. It had taken them more than two months of non-stop work to complete, but there it was: a small but quite functional little cabin. 

As the four of them stood outside observing their creation, they almost couldn’t believe it was done. The cabin was smaller than the one they had been sharing for months, but it still had two bedrooms, a small kitchen area with a fire, and a dining space that could also double as a living room. 

It was already dark, and although they didn’t have a clock—most of their watches had broken in the landing and the batteries of the remaining had run out already—they could tell it was late. They each had spent the day finalizing details to complete the cabin: Teal’c and Jack had finished the roof, while Daniel and Sam had furnished the house, both with handmade furniture and with what little they could find down in the village.

By the time they were done, they all felt exhausted. But, looking at the cabin from the outside, torches in hand, they felt an immense pride—they knew it had been worth it. 

The project had kept them occupied for two months. For two months they had a clear objective to distract them from their _other_ goal—getting back home. Jack and Teal’c had been working full-time on building the second cabin, while Sam and Daniel combined it with their respective research on ways to go back to Earth.

Sam had felt like she was in her element back at the SGC—combining science projects with more hands-on missions. Daniel also appreciated having an excuse not to be buried under piles of documents the whole day and found that the exercise of construction work was a great way to order his thoughts and share his ideas with his teammates. 

Teal’c and Jack still went hunting some days, but they both liked the clarity that building the cabin granted them. It was an achievable goal, an easy-enough target, and something they could keep working on even when their teammates slept. They both had shared sleepless nights sawing off logs in the silence of nature. It was in a way a cathartic experience; it reminded Jack of Minnesota; it reminded Teal’c of Chulak. In a way, both men found something spiritual in the project. It connected them to nature, but also to memories of their past—it granted them an insight into who they were and who they had been. Neither of them really spoke during the nights of construction, but they both knew and understood the feelings that remained untold. 

The silence that enveloped the team as they observed the finished product of all their hard work was broken by Jack, who was beginning to feel chilly outside.

“Okay, how about we get inside and throw a small housewarming party for the little cabin?”

“Sounds like a plan, sir”.

“I believe with the torches and the chimney the house will be warm enough”.

“Teal’c that’s not… you know what? Yes, let’s literally warm the house—and maybe ourselves with some alcohol?” Jack shot Daniel a conspiratorial look. 

“Oh, yes! I have that weird beverage they drink at the tavern. I believe it’s called _grëll_ , which actually has very interesting roots in Proto-Indo-European language…”

“Daniel, just bring the booze!” Jack cut him off before he turned their celebration into a linguistics seminar.

“Right, right. Sorry. I’ll be right back. I’ll bring all the bottles I bought for this special occasion”. 

As the archeologist went to his cabin, the remaining members of SG-1 entered the new living accommodations for Sam and Jack. Teal’c lit the fire without any trouble and, when he turned back, he saw his two teammates sharing a moment that he could only describe as ‘intimate’. 

“This looks great, sir” Sam said when she noticed the Jaffa watching them. She was a bit embarrassed of having been caught by their perceptive friend sharing _a moment_ with her CO. Not that there was anything going on between her and her CO—nothing that wasn’t already there to begin with. It was just that, as the months had gone by, it was getting harder to keep the professionalism around him. She was slowly sharing more and more furtive smiles with him; and that made her stomach lurch with hope. Hope for what? They could still be rescued at any time. She couldn’t let her emotions run interference with all the professionalism she had been building around her relationship with her CO—even after knowing he also _cared_ for her more than he was supposed to. 

“I agree, Carter. Whatcha say, Teal’c?” Jack didn’t seem or didn’t want to notice the Jaffa’s expression. 

“I believe the cabin does indeed appear suitable to fulfil your needs of more spacious living arrangements”.

Jack nodded, satisfied by the answer, and just then, Daniel arrived with four large bottles in his hands. 

“I brought the _grëll_. I think it’ll be more than enough for the four of us. As you know, it has quite a big percentage of alcohol…”

“Just what we need to get the party started! Sit, we have nice chairs, no music, and a nice little fire!” Jack felt happy—the happiest he’d been since they arrived in that godforsaken planet. He didn’t really want to admit to himself that it may have to do with starting to share a house with certain Air Force Major… _Control your line of thought, Jack, she still treats you as her CO_ , he told himself as he felt his defenses lower a little. 

“I’d like to propose a toast, then” Daniel said as he poured the _grëll_ to his teammates, “to us! To this nice little house! May this new place bring us peace and happiness!”

“Here, here” both Sam and Jack replied, while Teal’c bowed his head in acceptance of the words.

Daniel saw the glance that his two human friends shared but didn’t really think much about it. He was used to seeing those glances being exchanged, but he knew that the both of them were too professional to act upon what the glances really meant.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Around two hours later, Daniel was way too drunk for his own good, so Teal’c decided to call it a night and carry his friend home before he completely passed out.

Alone at last, Sam stood in silence with her hands and the small of her back leaning on the wooden table she herself had made. She had her eyes unfocused, her mind jumping from thought to thought, probably due to the _grëll_ in her system. 

In this state, she jumped a little when she felt the Colonel’s hand on hers. She didn’t take it off, she just lifted her eyes to meet her CO’s. 

“That was quite the party” he said with a smile that sent butterflies to her stomach.

“Daniel is going to be hungover for days” she giggled. Jack didn’t comment on her giggling—he found it endearing. 

“Yeah”.

They then felt into a comfortable silence, sharing a gaze that neither of them dared to interpret. They didn’t know how long they stood there, simply looking at each other’s eyes. It was as if time had stopped, as if all their pent-up emotions had managed to freeze them in the moment.

Sam broke the silence eventually. 

“Do you think General Hammond will have declared us MIA already, sir?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. I’m sure George will have stretched it as long as he could, but… it’s been more than four months”.

Sam nodded silently and then said: “That makes sense, sir”.

“Yeah, so…” Jack started, and hesitated, but something in Sam’s eyes told him to continue, “…so maybe you can drop the ‘sir’, you know, if you want” he squeezed her hand, and she responded doing the same.

“I would want that, sir—I mean, Jack”. She smiled, and suddenly all the defenses they each had been building up for years crumbled in an instant, just by the influence of the smile they shared. 

Jack slowly leaned forward, closing the space between them. Sam did the same, getting closer to the face of her CO—no, of _Jack_ , not her CO anymore. 

They could feel the warmth of each other’s breath, as they closed the space separating them. 

Sam closed her eyes as they finally kissed. It tasted of alcohol and lust. Their tongues intertwined in a passionate dance, finally giving in to all the emotions they had tried to hard to suppress. 

“Wow” was all Sam managed to say when their lips parted.

“Yeah” Jack answered and kissed her again, this time caressing her hair with his fingers. It had grown during the few months they’d been on the planet and Jack loved how good it looked on her. 

Sam’s hands didn’t stay still either. She began touching his back and descended to grab his ass. Jack grunted at the touch and pulled Sam’s body closer to his. 

“You know” he started in between kisses, “we could move your bed to the other room and make a queen size for the two of us to share”.

“I like how you think, _Jack_ ” there was something primal that sent a shiver down his spine when she said his name like that. 

“It’s just a few furs, and the mattress is not too heavy…” he started explaining, not too sure as to why, when she had already agreed.

“I know, Jack.” She smiled with lust in her eyes. “So, let’s go and move it”.

That was all he needed to hear to clear his foggy head and run into her room. She followed him quickly and between the two of them, they easily transported the bed from one room to the other. 

They didn’t really wait: as soon as their combined beds were set up, they began hastily undressing each other. It was an easy task to do—not only had they been dreaming about that moment, but their clothes were also easily undone, as they were makeshift pieces bought in the village. 

As soon as they were undressed, they each took a moment to look at their naked bodies. It was more than they ever dared to dream. Jack eyed her beautiful figure, her toned muscles, her round breasts. Sam slightly blushed, feeling his gaze on her, while daring to look further down his abs. 

He was already showing an erection and her eyes widened a little when she saw his size.

“Wow” she said with a hitched breath on her throat. 

Now it was Jack’s turn to blush.

“I could say the same thing” he said and cupped one of her breasts with one hand.

Sam touched his ass and moaned as she started to kiss his neck. Jack muffled a groan and moved his hands up and down her body. As the caresses ran through her body, Sam bit on Jack’s shoulder; and he then threw her on the bed, looking at her with lust.

Sam smiled as she laid on her back and Jack stood tall above her. He suddenly hesitated for a second: 

“You sure you want to do this?”

“Jack…” she smiled and took a look at his throbbing erection, “I think we’re both pretty sure we want to do this”.

She held her arms inviting him to get to the bed. 

Jack laid on top of her, kissing her deeply, feeling her body squirming below him. He placed a hand on her sex and found it was already wet.

He looked at her and saw her nodding knowingly. 

“Fuck me, Jack” she told him, her voice breaking with lust.

Jack did not wait any longer and entered her. His mind felt as if fireworks were exploding. He had pictured this moment a thousand times during lonely nights, but now that it was finally here, it felt much better than his silly old imagination could ever picture.

Sam was also feeling much better than what she’d ever imagined. His whole length filled her perfectly, as no man had ever done before. 

Together, they moved in unison, as if they knew exactly what the other wanted. Of course, Sam thought, exploring _exactly_ what Jack wanted would be a fun pastime while they were on that planet. 

Their bodies touching felt warm and smooth, their sweat from the friction and the furs mixing in a new scent that filled their senses.

It didn’t take long for Sam to come. It was finally the release of hidden desires; it was that Jack touched the exact buttons to arouse her; it was that, while all her fantasies had considered the consequences of having sex with her CO, the circumstances they were in allowed her the respite of not needing to worry about that at all. 

And so, she was able to completely, unapologetically, enjoy the moment and the sensations of pleasure. 

After a few moments, Jack reached his climax, spilling his seed inside of her. He withdrew and laid in bed next to her, panting, sweaty, waiting for his heart to steady.

“That was amazing” Sam said, placing a hand on his stomach.

“Yeah” Jack smiled at her, squeezing her hand. “It turns out we didn’t really need the other bedroom”.

“Nop” Sam said, getting up and placing herself on top of Jack, “I’ll find another use for the room” she simply stated and bent to kiss him in his mouth. “Now it’s my turn to be on top”.

It was going to be a long first night in their new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join me next time when we get back to Sam giving birth!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby's here!

_“Uh-oh”. Panic. “My water just broke”._

Sam looked at Jack and then at Daniel, who seemed to have paled considerably. 

“Okay, okay, okay” Jack got closer to Sam and took her by her shoulders. “Okay. Okay”. 

“Okay?!” Sam asked, scared of seeing Jack panicking beside her. She had never seen him so lost, not knowing what to do. 

“Okay.”

“Okay…” Sam wanted to slap him into action, but she didn’t need to, for a wave of pain hit her, and her screams seemed to awaken Jack.

“Okay” he said, rather annoyingly in Sam’s opinion—which she couldn’t voice as she screamed, grabbing his arm strongly—“Okay, Daniel, go get the lady healer from the village. And go tell Teal’c. We’re going to the bedroom.”

Sam nodded, feeling the pain passing.

“Can you walk, Sam?”

“Yeah, I think so. Just help me get over there”.

“Okay”.

“If you say _okay_ one more time, Jack, I swear I’m not sure what I’ll do to you” Sam said looking at him with her eyes widened and a couple of sweat pearls dampening her forehead. 

“Sorry, Carter” Jack’s eyes were sympathetic, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Daniel’s amused expression. “Did you not hear me, Daniel? Go get the lady!” he growled. 

“Oh, sorry, sure! I was… enthralled watching you interact” Daniel smiled, and before either Sam or Jack could respond, he left.

Alone at last, Jack led Sam to the bedroom. 

“Let’s get you comfortable on bed”.

“I’m going to ruin the furs”.

“Sam, that’s the least of our worries. I’ll get more. Now, come’ere” Jack guided her and helped her get onto bed.

“Jack?”

“Yes?”

“I’m scared”.

“I know, but don’t worry, with the healer’s help and Danny’s, you’ll be great” Jack smiled, but if he were honest to himself, he felt just as scared as her.

“You think?”

“I know”.

“You’ve never lied to me, Jack. Don’t start now. We both know there are risks involved.”

“Carter, you shouldn’t think like that…”

“But I do” Sam looked at him in the eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. “Look, if I don’t make it…”

“Sam” Jack’s tone was somber, severe, almost a threat not to finish that line of thought.

“If I don’t make it, Jack, know that I love you, and I have loved you for years, much earlier than the za’tarcs…” 

“Sam, you _are_ going to make it, so stop”.

“But Jack…”

“No. No _buts_. You _are_ going to make it” The steely determination was back in his eyes, and Sam nodded, smiling slightly. “I love you too, Sam” Jack added when he saw her reaction. He kissed her hair and kneeled down beside her. 

Daniel entered the room at that moment, followed by Teal’c and a small sturdy woman, Elna, the healer. 

The woman looked around and started giving orders in her variation of Old English, which Sam did not have the concentration to understand. She looked at Daniel questioningly. 

“Hmm she’s saying you shouldn’t be laying down”.

“What?”

“She says it’s easier to do it on a chair or standing”.

Jack shrugged when Sam looked at him as if asking him what he thought.

“She’s the healer, Carter. She knows what she’s doing.”

“I guess… okay, I’ll stand up. Can you bring me a chair?”

“I will procure it immediately, Samantha” Teal’c said as he went to the living room.

When he came back with the chair, the woman helped Sam place herself on it. She said something to Daniel and Sam asked him to translate.

“She’s not too happy with your birthing chair…”

“That’s because it’s a _regular_ chair, Daniel” Jack said, irritated. 

“Yeah, well, she says we’ll muddle through”.

“ _Muddle through?_ ” Sam asked, concerned.

“Well, it’s not the exact expression she used…”

“I don’t CAAAAAARE!!!” Sam’s voice elevated into an ear-piercing scream as she felt another contraction. 

Elna gestured her to breathe and took a look at her dilation. The pain Sam was feeling made her yell uncontrollably and she could feel the wetness of tears mixing with sweat.

“Just breathe, Carter” Jack said, squeezing her hands tightly.

“Teal’c Elna wants you to bring a basin with warm water and some towels” Daniel told him, and, bowing his head, the Jaffa left to fulfil his newest mission.

“Daniel” Sam asked, panting, “does she have something for the pain?” she squeezed her eyes tight, preparing for both, her next contraction and Daniel’s answer. She heard him ask the woman, and the woman respond. Something in her tone already told her that the answer would not be satisfactory.

“Emm… she says she can give you something later. When you’re closer to pushing”.

“Oh, God” Sam’s voice was almost a wail.

“You’ll be fine, Sam” Jack said, trying to console her. “You are the strongest person I know, Sam. You’ll be fine.” He squeezed her hand, trying to give her some of his strength.

“Jack” Sam started. He waited to see what she wanted, but when she didn’t continue, he asked:

“What is it, Sam?”

“Nothing. I just can’t believe I’m having a baby, that’s all”.

“Yeah, I get that” Jack said, while kissing her on the head again. “It’s pretty amazing, huh?”

Sam smiled and then another contraction started.

“AAAAAH!!!”

“Breathe, Sam” Jack said, as Elna spoke alongside him, probably saying the same thing.

“I don’t know if _amazing_ is what I would use to describe this” Sam said as the contraction passed.

Just then, Teal’c returned with the items he’d been asked to bring. The woman said something to Daniel, which the archeologist did not seem to like. They went back and forth for a while, and both Jack and Sam were getting impatient. 

“What’s wrong, Danny-boy?” Jack tried to keep his tone from showing too much concern.

“Emm…”

“Daniel…”

“Daniel, just tell us” Sam pleaded. 

“Elna thinks that having us men in here is counter-productive…”

“Counter-productive?”

“Well, she seems to think we’ll only get in the way”.

“Hmm the lady has a point… ouch!” Jack felt Sam smack him and look at him with a frown. 

“Daniel, tell her I _need_ you here with me”.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do, but she thinks it brings bad energy to the birth. She’s saying we could be here in the beginning, but we’re kinda not needed here now that she has everything she needs…”

“But what about what _I_ need?” Sam’s voice had a desperate tone that broke Daniel’s heart. “Daniel, tell her I _need_ you here, or else… she can go”.

“Sam, don’t you think that’s a bit extreme? She’s the healer of the village…”

“Daniel, it’s _my_ baby. _My_ birth. I want _you_ here. All _three_ of you. I don’t care what _she_ thinks.” She was now firm, commanding. Jack smiled a little, finding it cute just how natural she felt at command—she would have made a great general. 

Daniel wasn’t expecting her to chew him up so directly, so he turned to Elna and began a tirade that Sam hoped persuaded the woman. While he was at it, another contraction came in full force.

“AAAAH!”

“Hold my hand, Sam. I’m not going anywhere, no matter what Mrs. Bad Juju over there says”.

Through the pain, she found his words funny and she laughed as she screamed—making it a tragicomic sound.

“Okay, Elna has agreed to having at least one of us here. She says we can take turns—but more than one can be really bad for the birth”.

“Daniel, are you listening to yourself? I’m _not_ moving, and we need you to translate and Teal’c to help. We don’t care about bad energies!”

“Okay, let me try to persuade her”.

“This is surrealist!” Sam said, and had yet another contraction, that made her scream in pain. She felt more tears stain her cheeks and wailing she said: “tell her, please, to let you be here with me. _Please_.”

The cries broke the men’s hearts, and Daniel tried once more to convince the woman. Jack kissed her on the cheeks, tasting the saltiness of her tears. Sam turned to look at him, and kissed him in the mouth, trying to focus on him, and not on the rest of what was going on. 

Daniel smiled triumphantly. 

“She has agreed to have us here, with the condition that we bring the priest to bless this birth, as that would counter the bad energy”.

“Okay, whatever, do it. Run! Go! Daniel!” Jack barked his orders shaking his head. 

“Do you want me to accompany him, O’Neill?”

“Nah, you’re fine, T”.

“Teal’c, I want you here, with me. Hold my other hand, please” Sam’s tone was desperate, already quite tired, filled with pain.

Teal’c got closer to his teammate, held her hand and kneeled beside her. Sam was now flanked by Jack and Teal’c, as she uncomfortably sat on the chair. Elna was towering over her, telling her things she couldn’t really understand. Sam wanted to cry: she missed Janet and her resolve, she missed hospitals, she missed her dad—she thought nothing of this birth resembled how she’d ever pictured herself having a baby. Jack began kissing her softly, hoping she would find some solace in it. 

Sam didn’t know how much time passed. The priest came and blessed the birth, Daniel helped with translating the ritual, and everything seemed right on track. 

Teal’c and Jack tried to keep Sam entertained while Daniel continued helping with what Elna was saying. 

As time went by, Sam was restless. Her pain had increased—the contractions were getting closer. She was sweaty and tired. Another contraction came and Sam screamed, holding Jack’s hand. 

“This is all your fault!”

“Hey, now, that’s not fair! You’re half as guilty”.

“I’m going to kill you, Jack O’Neill! You did this to me!” Sam yelled through yet another contraction.

“Sam, come on, breathe.”

“Sam, Elna says you’re ready to push” Daniel said, saving Jack from Sam’s unfounded anger. “Here, take this plant, it will help you with the pain”.

“FINALLY! AAAAH!” Sam said, taking the plant.

It didn’t take too long for it to have an effect, and Sam felt some of the pain numb away. 

“Okay, Sam, as soon as you feel the contraction, you push, okay?”

“Got it”.

“You got this, Carter” Jack held her right hand, while Teal’c held her left.

“Push!”

“AAAH!”

“Good girl!”

“Don’t call me that, Daniel or I’ll rip you apART!!!” Sam yelled in pain with another contraction. 

“Push!”

Some minutes and pushes later, the moment came.

“One last push!”

“AAH!”

Silence.

And then, some excruciating seconds later, she heard the cries of a baby. Sam closed her eyes with relief, as Elna cut the umbilical cord and gave the baby to Teal’c so that he could clean it.

“It’s a girl, Sam”.

“You did it, Carter”

“I did it” Sam cried of happiness.

Then, Elna told Daniel something and he paled a bit.

“What’s wrong, Daniel?” Jack asked worriedly. 

“Em….”

“Daniel!” This time it was Sam’s worried voice. 

“There’s another one coming, Sam”.

“What?!”

“Don’t you feel like you need to keep pushing?”

“Yes, but I thought it was the placenta”.

“That’s coming too. But just not yet” Daniel smiled, but he could see Sam’s worried expression.

“I can’t do this again” Sam closed her eyes and felt Jack place a damp towel on her forehead.

“Yes, you can, Carter, you’re almost there”:

“I can’t believe this” Sam felt tears and sweat on her face.

“My swimmers are champs” Jack said and felt a feeble smack from an exhausted Sam.

“We’ll have to build another crib. I don’t know what we’re gonna do” Sam started crying, but Jack placed his hands on her head and forced her to look at him. 

“We’ll be fine, Sam. Right now, you just have to worry about pushing, okay? Just push, okay?”

Sam nodded through her tears and focused on Daniel and Elna. 

A few minutes later, another wail was heard on the cabin. The woman cut the umbilical cord and gave the baby to Daniel, who was closest to Teal’c’s basin and towels. 

“It’s a boy!” Daniel was ecstatic. 

“You did it, Sam!” Jack kissed her on her forehead, and Sam took his face to kiss him in the mouth. She smiled as they kissed, her eyes closed, and their foreheads touching. 

“Did I?” she asked, looking at Daniel for confirmation.

“Yep. Now it’s just about waiting for the placenta.” He smiled.

Both the archeologist and the Jaffa placed the cleaned babies on Sam’s lap. Sam held them and Jack hugged Sam from behind. They were in awe looking at their babies. 

“Have you thought of names yet?” Daniel asked, interrupting the moment.

“We had Grace for a girl, my mom’s middle name” Sam answered. 

“And Charles for a boy, you know, to honor their older brother, but also my friend Kawalsky”.

“Those are great names” Daniel smiled.

“I do believe you will honor those departed with those names” Teal’c sentenced. 

“Jack, I really want to lay down” Sam said, holding the babies. 

“It’ll be a moment for the placenta to come out, then we can get you settled on bed”.

“I can’t believe this is real”.

“I know”.

“I did it”.

“You did” Jack kissed Sam again. “I love you. I’m sooo proud of you”.

“I love you too”.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I wasn't thinking about twins, but then suddenly the idea came to me and I said... why not?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the beginning of a couple of different journeys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> No flashbacks this time, moving forward!

_“That one over there looks suspicious”._

_“Not more than any of the others, Jacob”._

_“Hmm, I’m not so sure about that—there’s something in his eyes… Let’s get closer, shall we?”_

Without waiting for Selmak to answer, Jacob sat down on a table behind the man he had gazed at. Yes, there was definitely something off about him, although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

_“I think you might be imagining it, Jacob. This is the fifth backwater planet we visit in the past few days…”_

_“Selmak, as much as I enjoy your rational mind, give this old man some credit here. I was military for decades; I know how to read a face—alien or human. He’s fishy, I’m telling you.”_

_“You are cute when you’re so confident”._

_“I will not respond to that”_ Jacob said, but a small smile appeared on his face.

He nuzzled the beer-like drink he had ordered earlier, and attentively observed the man in the table in front of him. After a while, the man started to look constantly at the door.

_“See, I told you he was up to no good. He’s definitely waiting for someone”._

_“Look, it seems you were right”._

Selmak told him, as another man came through the door and sat down next to his target of observation. Jacob leaned towards them a little bit, not wanting to be too obvious but also wanting to get a better angle to look and listen to their conversation. 

“You got it?” the first man asked the newcomer.

“Yeah, your contact was right, we were able to secure many of the parts that were floating there”.

Just a sentence in and Jacob’s interest had peaked. Parts floating? What were they talking about? Could the parts be from an exploded Tel’tak? 

_“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jacob. Just listen”_ Selmak admonished him.

_“You’re right”._

“Sweet” the first man seemed pleased. “How many items were you able to salvage?”

“The ship exploded from extensive missile damage, so there weren’t a lot of complete items, but, as I said, we managed to get pretty much everything we saw floating around…”

“Do you think they’ll sell?”

“Of course! It’s not like you can get ahold of Goa’uld tech so easily any regular day…”

_“Goa’uld tech—see? It has to be the Tel’tak. We’ve been following rumors for months”._

_“I don’t know, Jacob. Let’s listen to see if we get a confirmation”._

_“If we don’t, I’ll take matters into my own hands”._

_“Patience”._

The two men were now discussing the selling price of different parts that both Jacob and Selmak recognized as part of a Tel’tak, or at least a smaller Death Glider.

_“Those are not parts of larger vessels”._

_“No. It has to be SG-1’s Tel’tak”._

“I’m telling ya, man. We scored big time!”

“Yeah! I hope the buyer will pay and not ask questions”.

“Well, you know how it is… if they do, I’ll make sure they’ll get answers from this one” the man lifted his shirt to show a weapon Jacob didn’t recognize. “Plus, what do they care where we took the spare parts from?”

“Y’know sometimes the buyers get nervous that they might be pissing off a Goa’uld…”

“It’s not like they’ll come back to retrieve it. We’re just scavengers.”

“Right, right. Well, in any case, the buyer will meet us at the secure location on Monday. I’ll see you then.”

With that curt goodbye, the second man took leave almost as seamlessly as he had come. The first one seemed to be waiting to leave after a while, so that nobody would think they’d been together. Jacob took the opportunity to get up and sit in front of him, with his gun pointing at the man’s chest.

“Hello there, don’t make a fuss or you will regret it” Jacob was calm, threatening, severe. The man looked at him in shock, lifting his arms in surrender. “Now you’re going to answer some questions and you won’t try anything funny or I’m sure we’ll both regret disturbing this peaceful establishment”.

_“Look at you, all threatening”._

_“Not now”._

“What is it that you want, old man?”

“You were just now talking about a loot of Goa’uld spare parts… where did you find them?”

“Like hell I’m gonna tell you that!”

Jacob sighed and decided to get a bit more intimidating. Selmak made his eyes glow and modulated his voice.

“I will not ask twice” Jacob said, and, although it was a blatant lie, it served to scare the man enough to get an answer.

“Look, man, we’re just scavengers. We found an exploded Tel’tak and took advantage. We didn’t want to piss off any of you guys…”

“Where did you find the Tel’tak?” Jacob was getting impatient.

“It’s quite a long way from here, it’s nowhere near a Chappa’ai. We just stumbled upon it by chance…”

“Where?!” Jacob said getting up from the chair and leaning towards the man. 

“In the Cygnus system. It takes about three weeks to get there from here”.

“I’ll need the exact coordinates”.

“Why? You won’t find anything but debris!”

“Don’t worry about what I’ll find. Give me the coordinates”.

“Okay, okay”.

As Jacob stepped into his own fully stocked Tel’tak, he smiled with satisfaction.

_“At least now we have somewhere specific to go”._

_“Hmm, there seem to be four planets near the explosion site”._

_“Let’s hope they made it into one”_.

And so, Jacob and Selmak began a long journey towards what they both hoped would be the new home of Sam’s team. It had been way too long.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

At the same time that Jacob and Selmak began their journey, Daniel was trying to convince Jack to let him embark on one of his own.

“I’m just saying, Jack, that it’s been a week since Sam gave birth. I want to go find the Stargate”.

“Daniel, we don’t even know if there _is_ a Stargate to begin with”.

“Jack, but if there _is_ one, we can dial the Alpha site and get home! Don’t you want your children to be checked over by a doctor? Hell, don’t you want Sam checked over? She told me she hasn’t stopped bleeding slightly since the birth. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“The healer said there was nothing wrong with her…”

“Yeah, but wouldn’t you want dr. Frasier to tell you that?”

“Daniel…” Jack wanted to reassure his friend that they were fine, but the truth was that he was getting concerned about Sam’s wellbeing. “If your manuscript is right, then the gate is past the desert. It will take you a long time to get there, and you’d have to carry a LOT of supplies with you…”

“Then I’ll take Teal’c. The both of us can cover more ground, carry the supplies… We get there, we dial the Alpha site, and then we get reinforcements, get the doctor, anything we need”.

“Daniel, what if you get there and the gate has been completely buried? Didn’t your legends talk about that?”

“Yeah, yeah, but I think it was a mistranslation. I think they just meant it’s in a cave underground. I realized about this when I saw the word _hlaew_ , which I thought meant to _bury_ but…”

“Okay”.

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Pack for at least three weeks of supplies. Take Teal’c. We don’t have radios, so there won’t be a way for me to know if you’re dead or alive. So… if you get there and dial out, then I’ll trust you’ll bring our people to help us. If the gate is buried or destroyed, don’t waste time trying to fix it—our foremost expert on the gate is currently on bedrest with twins…” Jack paused, and turned his eyes to the closed bedroom door with a bit of a worried look in his eyes. “Just, just don’t waste time, okay?”

“I promise. There’s nothing I would find there that I haven’t read about already”.

“Fine. And be careful, Danny-boy. Those kids in there are going to need a crazy, geeky uncle to spoil them rotten”.

Daniel smiled at his friend.

“Of course. I intend to come back and be their cool uncle—there are many Abydos stories that I want to tell them about their dad…”

“I can help you pack supplies if you want”.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll tell Teal’c and we can leave tomorrow with the first light. You worry about taking care of our foremost expert on the gate, and her offspring”.

Now it was Jack smiling at his friend.

“Will you two, I mean, four, be okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. We have plenty of food, so I can stay home with Sam and the babies”.

“Okay. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“Let’s hope.”

“I, uh, can I get in there, say goodbye to Sam?”

“Of course. I’ll go tell Teal’c so he can talk to her as well”.

“Great”.

“Oh, and Daniel?” Jack said, as the archeologist went towards the door where Sam was, “I’m not responsible if she bites your head off!”

“I’ll take that into account”. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

“How are you?” Jack whispered when he entered the bedroom that night, and saw that Charlie was fast asleep on the new crib Jack had hastily made, and Grace was breastfeeding comfortably with Sam.

“I’m okay” Sam answered in a whisper, smiling, but Jack could tell there was a mix of sadness and exhaustion in her eyes.

“The bleeding?”

“Still there”.

This had become their little routine for the last week—and neither really voiced the concern they had about it. The healer insisted that nothing was wrong, but they couldn’t help but wonder what Janet would say about it. They were both worried about a possible infection and had so far resorted to keeping Sam in bedrest, just in case. It wasn’t like there was much else to do for her; and, maybe it was the bleeding, or maybe just the two newborns, but the truth was she was exhausted.

“Did you send Teal’c and Daniel off?”

“Yep. They needed to rest; they leave with the first light”.

“Yeah, that’s what Daniel told me”.

“What do you think about it?” Jack said, getting into bed and gently caressing Grace’s hair.

“I don’t know, Jack”.

“You don’t know, or just don’t want to talk about it?”

“I mean…” Sam raised her eyes from her baby to look at him, “If they _do_ find the gate, then we can get home”.

“Yep.” He let her continue her train of thought.

“And I don’t know if that’s good or bad”.

Jack suddenly looked at her, surprised. He’d expected her to voice concerns about Daniel and Teal’c’s journey, but he hadn’t expected her to be reluctant about going back home.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s stupid, Jack, forget it”.

“It’s not. Tell me, please” he disarmed her with his gaze.

“It’s just that… look, I know there are things here we don’t like. Like the lack of hospitals, or challenges, and whatnot. But… it’s also what has allowed us this” she gestured towards the two babies and Jack. “And I don’t know what would become of us if we went back home. Would we be court martialed? Would we lose our posting at the SGC? I just… I don’t know… I don’t know if I want to come back to an Earth where we won’t be able to continue at the SGC”.

“I get that” Jack answered and took Grace from Sam to help her burp. “But getting back would also mean getting proper help about your bleeding, getting these ones checked over…”

“I know, that’s why I’m not sure how to feel about it”.

“Well, maybe we don’t have to worry about it. Maybe they won’t find anything”.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m worrying over nothing”.

“Yup”.

“I do hope nothing happens to them”.

“They’ll be fine. Teal’c is… well, Teal’c. And Daniel has gotten more and more fit since we got here. And they have plenty of supplies”.

“I guess you’re right. It doesn’t stop me from worrying, though”.

“I know”.

Jack kissed Sam and then gently rocked Grace to sleep. Before he knew it, the four of them were deep in slumber, hoping the next day brought their friends a safe journey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teal'c and Daniel get to the Gate.
> 
> Sam has a visitor.

_Luck_ , Teal’c thought, was a Tau’ri concept, based on a strange belief system that somehow tried to explain why events happened the way they did. He had never understood the reasoning behind it. As a Jaffa warrior, he believed that one was always responsible for whatever fate was in store. Even when a false God might have a say in that destiny. No; Teal’c didn’t believe in luck—a warrior built his fortune through hard work.

However, if someone had asked him, he might have admitted that they, SG-1, had something akin to _bad luck_ ever since that last mission went awry. Maybe it was just a _bad star_ that had been following them; although, he mused, that was eerily familiar to the Tau’ri concept of luck. 

He tried to shake those thoughts from his mind. They had worked hard to try to get back to the SGC, but it seemed that their attempts to change their fate had been futile. It seemed their destiny had been sealed on that planet.

When he and Daniel found the cave from the manuscripts the archeologist had been translating, Teal’c was sure it was a consequence of hard work, not of _good luck_. 

When they saw the Chappa’ai, completely destroyed, the creeping thought that they had _bad luck_ intruded on Teal’c’s mind. He had never seen a Chappa’ai like that.

“This was definitely done at the hands of someone technologically far more advanced than the Goa’uld”. Daniel said, distress plastered on his face.

“Then I believe we should go back to the village” he had answered succinctly, although he felt a pang of disappointment himself. 

“Give me… give me a moment” Daniel said, not looking at him.

“We can rest for a few hours, but we should not wait for long if we want the supplies to last”.

“We have more than enough. I just… let me inspect this”.

“As you wish, Daniel Jackson”. Teal’c conceded. He knew it had a ritualistic meaning for the linguist more than a real effect on their situation. There was nothing either of them could do; not even Samantha Carter could perform her miracles with the state of the Chappa’ai. 

But Daniel Jackson needed to grieve; he needed a moment to compose himself and bid farewell to his hopes of going back to Earth.

Teal’c had also held onto some hopes of his own: he had never given up the idea of continuing the fight against the Goa’uld, of freeing the Jaffa. But it seemed their fate—or _bad luck_ , or _bad star_ —had other plans for them.

The way towards the cave through the desert had been filled with talk, laughter, and jokes. It had been a hopeful journey, albeit a long one. The way back had been completely silent, both men deep in reflection. In the silence, the way seemed to stretch longer, to be more exhausting.

When they knocked on Sam’s and Jack’s door, they were sweaty, dirty, and completely defeated. Jack opened the door with Charlie in his arms, he took in the appearance of his teammates, and his face fell.

“I take it you didn’t find the gate” he said, as he motioned to let both men in. 

“Oh, we did find it alright.” Daniel said as he sat down tiredly. 

Then, Sam appeared, holding a crying Grace in her arms. The babies looked bigger, healthy. Neither Teal’c nor Daniel could really tell how long it’d been since they’d left, but they knew it was less than the three weeks their supplies had allowed. 

“Hey, guys. Want something to drink?” she asked, struggling to calm the baby. 

“We can procure the beverages ourselves, Samantha Carter” Teal’c told her, approaching the kitchen area.

“But you must be exhausted” she protested. 

“I think you two look just as exhausted as we do” Daniel chipped in. 

Sam frowned, but allowed Teal’c to proceed to serve their drinks. 

“So, you did find the gate?” Sam asked trying to keep the composure while Grace struggled and cried on her arms. “Shh, shh, shh” she tried soothing, but to no avail. “Are you hungry?” she asked, sitting down on the chair next to Daniel and she proceeded to help the baby latch on her breast.

“Oh, wow, I was not expecting that”.

“Come on, Daniel, it’s not like you’ve never seen a woman breastfeeding before” Sam said, but smirked at the awkwardness of the archeologist.

“The gate, Danny-boy” Jack said as he came back from the room where he’d just put a sleeping Charlie. 

“Oh, yeah. Sorry” Daniel answered blushing slightly, trying to avoid looking at Sam’s breast. “We found it inside the cave…”

“…but it appeared to have been destroyed” Teal’c said, handing Daniel a mug of water.

“Destroyed? Maybe we can fix it”.

“You didn’t see it, Sam. It was completely destroyed. There were chevrons laying around. I’ve never seen anything like it”.

“We concluded it must have been the doing of a technologically advanced race”.

“You don’t think we can fix it?” Sam asked again, although, from the description of their friends, she already knew it was unlikely.

“It is not possible, Samantha” Teal’c sentenced, and the finality of his words hit her like a sack of bricks.

“I’m sorry, Sam” Daniel said when he noticed her expression.

“Don’t be. It was a long shot, anyway. I’m glad you’re both okay”.

“We are also pleased to see you both in good spirits” Teal’c bowed his head.

“So, back to normal, then?” Jack asked.

“Depends on what you call _normal_ ” Daniel answered.

“You know, we could use some more food. I have been delaying going hunting to help Sam with the babies” Jack answered, looking at Grace burping from her meal. Sam smiled softly at him.

“Yeah, hunting could be good to clear my mind”.

“Great, rest tonight, rest tomorrow. We can go hunting the following day” Jack said satisfied.

“I take it you’re no longer bleeding?” Daniel asked Sam, concerned. 

“No. The healer was right. It must have been a consequence of the birth, nothing more.”

“I’m glad”.

“Go rest, guys. It’s late. We can talk more tomorrow”.

No; Teal’c didn’t believe in luck, but, as he entered the cabin he shared with Daniel Jackson, he thought he did have the _good luck_ of being stranded alongside a group of friends like his. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam was stressed out. Both Charlie and Grace were crying non-stop, and she couldn’t figure out what was the matter with them. They had both been fed a few minutes ago; they had not soiled their clothes… She tried to rock Grace while having Charlie on the rudimentary strap she had made around her chest. It was the only way she could hold the two babies by herself, and, since she had insisted the guys take a small hunting trip, she was alone to face her children.

She had waved off Jack’s concerns about leaving her alone, taking offense at the implication that she couldn’t take care of her babies by herself. As it had been two weeks since the guys came back and they hadn’t gone hunting yet, she had insisted she’d be perfectly fine. The babies were already six weeks old—she thought she’d be perfectly capable of managing the babies by herself. Now, she was not so sure.

Sam paced around the cabin, rocking the two babies as well as she could. She was getting desperate. The babies just didn’t stop crying. She had to find something to distract them. She took a couple of pieces of metal and dangled them together, making a musical sound. The noise seemed to distract the babies, who suddenly stopped crying and looked at the objects with curiosity. Grace extended her chubby arm, trying to get it. Charlie smiled, and Sam couldn’t help but smile herself: she was pretty certain that was his first genuine smile. 

“You like it? Yes?” She said in a high-pitched tone that she’d always found annoying and exaggerated. “I know you like it. I like it too. I like it too” she continued, relieved that both of the babies had finally calmed down. They were both gurgling happily, and she idly wondered how long it took for babies to start talking. Of course, she knew it was waaaaay too early for that, but she missed having easily accessible information. Back on Earth, she would have the answer to her question in less than a minute. Oh, well. It would be an interesting learning process. 

Sam was brought back from her reverie when she heard a knocking on the door.

“I thought I told you not to come until sundown…” Sam said as she opened the door. “I told you I was fi—”

She stopped dead on her tracks when she saw who was on the other side. 

“Sammie?”

Jacob Carter only managed to say that word in his complete shock. His eyes widened as he observed his daughter holding two babies. She looked older somehow—of course, it’d been almost two years since their disappearance—but it was rather her poise, her maternal look, what aged her. She looked mature. Her hair was long and braided, her eyes, still as blue as he remembered, looked tired.

“Dad?” Sam asked as a response. She was just as shocked as he was. She had hoped her father would search for them but had discarded that idea long ago. 

It took her less to compose herself and added:

“Come on in. It’s not much but it’s our cabin”.

The comment seemed to awaken Jacob. 

“Yes, so I was told by the villagers. They were surprised to see another _fallen one_ ”.

“Is that what they call us?” Sam said as she offered her dad a chair. 

“ _Fallen from the stars_. You never asked how they called you?”

“It never mattered to us. Do you want some tea? Well, it’s not tea, but we call it tea because it’s similar enough”.

“Sure”.

Sam put some water on the fire to boil and then sat on a chair next to him, still with the babies in tow. 

They stayed quiet for a long moment, neither really knowing what to say. Charlie started crying and Grace followed suit. Sam stood up and tried to shush them up. 

“I’m going to put them to sleep” she said as she left for the room.

“ _It would be a good idea if you spoke, Jacob_ ” Selmak told him.

“ _I just don’t know what to say_ ”.

“ _It’s your daughter. You’ve been searching the galaxy for her the past two years. You’ll find your words_ ”.

Sam finally came back, and Jacob blurted out the first words that crossed his mind.

“So O’Neill finally managed to get you into his bed?”

Sam’s eyes widened, and she tensed. She turned her back to him and went to get the boiling water. 

“ _That was certainly_ not _what I meant, Jacob_ ” Selmak admonished him.

“It was something mutual, dad” Sam said as she returned with the tea. “And it took us longer than you think” her eyes showcased how hurt she was from his comment.

“I’m sorry, Sammie. I don’t know what got into me to say that. If it consoles you, Selmak is giving me a hard time about it”.

Sam smiled a little at the thought of Selmak chastising her dad. 

“It was just… I was just shocked to see you with _two_ babies”.

“They’re twins” Sam said as if explaining that would take off some of her dad’s shock. “They’re six weeks old”.

Jacob smiled, happy that she seemed to get past his tone-deaf comment. 

“They looked beautiful”.

“You can see them later, when they wake up from the nap”.

Jacob nodded, and asked Selmak for better things to say.

“ _This is not my call to make, Jacob. Follow your instincts. Just try to put yourself in her shoes_ ”.

“I can’t believe you had to give birth here. So far from home, from hospitals…”

“I had the village healer and the boys. Although I’m not looking forward to trying that again any time soon” Sam smiled, and tried to put into words all of the thoughts and questions that flooded her mind. She finally settled for a simple “How did you find us?”

“It was a wild goose chase: rumors, different planets, people who didn’t know anything, people who had heard of an exploded Tel’tak… You know” Jacob took a second to look at Sam in the eyes before continuing, “At first I had the help of the SGC, but George had to declare you MIA eventually…”

“Did you go to our memorial service?”

“Oh, yes. You know how much I hate the pomp and circumstance of those events… Plus, neither George not I believed you were gone”.

“Thanks for not giving up” Sam said as she placed a hand on her dad’s. Jacob smiled.

“I would never give up on you, Sammie”.

They both fell into silence, but it was definitely more comfortable than the previous stretch of shocked silence. 

“I can’t believe you’re really here” Sam said eventually.

“I can’t believe I finally found you” Jacob answered and continued, “When I got the final tip and I searched three of the four planets next to the explosion site, I thought I’d found yet another dead end… I can’t tell you how good it felt when the villagers here asked me if I came looking for you…”

Sam nodded—she could only imagine how desperate her father’s quest must have been, following wrong leads, facing dead end after dead end, and yet not giving up… unlike herself, who had given up a while ago, in different stages.

“We did try, you know” she said, as if needing to justify herself in front of her dad. “We tried everything we could think of to get back home. We even found the Stargate—but it was destroyed beyond repair…”

“I know you must have tried, Sam, I’m not accusing you of anything”.

Sam nodded again but felt a need to continue.

“We waited until it was clear we had been declared MIA…” Jacob didn’t need to ask what she was talking about and couldn’t help but feel guilty about Sam’s need to explain herself due to his previous horrible comment.

“I’m sorry I suggested otherwise”.

“It’s okay. I know you knew how I felt about Jack. I get it”.

“It was uncalled for. I apologize again”.

Sam squeezed his hand and smiled brightly this time. Oh, how much had Jacob missed that smile!

“Where is he, by the way?” Jacob asked, suddenly realizing that her daughter was alone at home with the babies.

“The three of them are hunting. We were almost out of food and with the birth and everything we couldn’t really go”.

“When do you think they’ll be back?”

“At sundown. Why? Are you in a hurry?”

“Are you not anxious to come back to Earth?”

“I… I don’t know, dad”.

Jacob looked at her trying to decipher her expression. 

“You have doubts” he said eventually.

“I’m just scared of the consequences” she said, glancing quickly at the door of the babies’ room. 

“There will be none. As you said, you were MIA. George’ll figure it out”.

“If you say so…”

“I know so, Sammie. I wouldn’t have spent the last two years looking for you if I didn’t”.

His words seemed to convince her, and she nodded in agreement.

“I will still need to consult it with the guys”.

“We can have a nice dinner together and talk calmly about it”.

“That sounds nice” Sam said, although she knew none of the guys would calmly voice their real opinion on the matter with her father present.

Suddenly, one of the babies started crying. Sam sighed tiredly—it had been an exhausting, emotional day, after all.

“What do you say to meeting your grandkids for real this time?” she said, holding out her hand.

“I’d love nothing more” Jacob replied, taking it, touched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> We're getting closer to the end! Thanks for sticking by!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!
> 
> Am I obsessed with Sam and Jack and just want them to be happy and have a nice little family? Yes, yes I am. I hope you bear my obsessions with me lol


End file.
